DISEASE THAT AFFECTS THE
NERVOUS SYSTEM
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
CEREBRAL PALSY
CAUSES
Like all types of dementia, Alzheimer's is
caused by brain cell death.3 It is a
neurodegenerative disease, which means
there is progressive brain cell death that
happens over a course of time.
The total brain size shrinks with
Alzheimer's - the tissue has progressively
fewer nerve cells and connections.3,4
brain neurons
Nerve cells (neurons) in the brain. In
Alzheimer's, there are microscopic
'plaques' and 'tangles' between and within
brain cells.
While they cannot be seen or tested in the
living brain affected by Alzheimer's
disease, postmortem/autopsy will always
show tiny inclusions in the nerve tissue,
called plaques and tangles:3,4
Plaques are found between the dying
cells in the brain - from the build-up of a
protein called beta-amyloid (you may hear
the term "amyloid plaques").
The tangles are within the brain neurons -
from a disintegration of another protein,
called tau.
Cerebral palsy is caused by a brain injury
or problem that occurs during pregnancy
EFFECTS PREVENTION
1. Worsened ability to take in and -Stress management
remember new information, for example: -Quality Sleep
-Mental Stimulation
"Repetitive questions or conversations -Healthy Diet
Misplacing personal belongings -Regular Exercise
Forgetting events or appointments -Social Engagement
Getting lost on a familiar route."
2. Impairments to reasoning, complex
tasking, exercising judgment:
"Poor understanding of safety risks
Inability to manage finances
Poor decision-making ability
Inability to plan complex or sequential
activities."
3. Impaired visuospatial abilities (but not,
for example, due to eye sight problems):
"Inability to recognize faces or common
objects or to find objects in direct view
Inability to operate simple implements, or
orient clothing to the body."
4. Impaired speaking, reading and writing:
-
"Difficulty thinking of common words while
speaking, hesitations
Speech, spelling, and writing errors."
5. Changes in personality and behavior,
for example:
Out-of-character mood changes, including
agitation; less interest, motivation or
initiative; apathy; social withdrawal
Loss of empathy
Compulsive, obsessive or socially
unacceptable behavior.
The effects of cerebral palsy will vary from Insisting on pre-natal care, including
child to child depending upon the severity running tests that might identify
or birth or within the first 2 to 3 years of a
child's life. It can be caused by:
Problems from being born too early
(premature birth).
Not getting enough blood, oxygen, or
other nutrients before or during birth.
A serious head injury.
A serious infection that can affect the
brain, such as meningitis.
Some problems passed from parent to
child (genetic conditions) that affect brain
development.
of the disorder and may include the
following:
Contractures of the muscle tissue due to
severe tightening of the muscle
(spasticity), which can inhibit bone growth,
cause bending of bones, and result in joint
deformities, dislocations, and partial
dislocations.
Lung disease: People who have CP may
struggle with lung disease and breathing
problems.
Malnutrition: swallowing and feeding
problems can be a real challenge for
someone who has CP to get proper
nutrition.
Mental health disorders: people who have
cerebral palsy may have mental health
problems like depression, social isolation,
and challenges associated with
challenges of CP.
Neurological conditions that may worsen
over time
Osteoarthritis a painful degenerative bone
disease
problems early, when they can
potentially be treated
• Employing electronic fetal
monitoring during the delivery process to
ensure that a child is not in distress and
that a child is receiving adequate levels
of oxygen
• Counseling a woman about
healthful practices during pregnancy,
including preconception counseling with
a father or partner
• Managing health conditions,
such as infections. Also, treating
sexually transmitted diseases, such as
herpes, which studies have shown may
be transmitted to a child
• Ordering genetic tests to identify
the presence of conditions that can
cause neurological troubles that are
inherited
• Ensuring that a child is up-to-
date with immunizations to curtail the
possibility of infectious diseases like
rubella
• Properly responding to and
addressing emergency situations, such
as bleeding, that occur during pregnancy
• Employing testing such as
TORCH testing, which assesses and
monitors immunity in women that do not
immediately demonstrate immunity, and
documenting APGAR scores, which
assess a baby’s heart rate, muscle tone,
reflexes and skin condition immediately
after birth
• Staying current on industry
standards of care
• Educating patients in terms of
best practices before, during and after
pregnancy

PARKINSON’S DISEASE Parkinson's disease is caused by the
progressive impairment or deterioration of
neurons (nerve cells) in an area of the
brain known as the substantia nigra.
When functioning normally, these neurons
produce a vital brain chemical known as
dopamine. Dopamine serves as a
chemical messenger allowing
communication between the substantia
nigra and another area of the brain called
the corpus striatum. This communication
coordinates smooth and balanced muscle
movement. A lack of dopamine results in
abnormal nerve functioning, causing a
loss in the ability to control body
movements.
 Tremor. A tremor, or shaking,
usually begins in a limb, often
your hand or fingers. You may
notice a back-and-forth rubbing of
your thumb and forefinger, known
as a pill-rolling tremor. One
characteristic of Parkinson's
disease is a tremor of your hand
when it is relaxed (at rest).
 Slowed movement
(bradykinesia). Over time,
Parkinson's disease may reduce
your ability to move and slow your
movement, making simple tasks
difficult and time-consuming. Your
steps may become shorter when
you walk, or you may find it
difficult to get out of a chair. Also,
you may drag your feet as you try
to walk, making it difficult to
move.
 Rigid muscles. Muscle stiffness
may occur in any part of your
body. The stiff muscles can limit
your range of motion and cause
you pain.
• Maintaining a history void of
medical malpractice and birth injuries
• Checking a child for jaundice
after delivery
• Treating a child during the
vulnerable months after he or she is born
through well-baby visits designed to
identify and correct medical conditions
that could lead to brain injuries, as well
as tracking a child’s growth and
development
Exercise in middle age reduces the risk of
Parkinson's disease later in life.[7]
Caffeine also appears protective with a
greater decrease in risk occurring with a
larger intake of caffeinated beverages
such as coffee.[64] Although tobacco
smoke causes adverse health effects,
decreases life expectancy and quality of
life, it may reduce the risk of PD by a third
when compared to non-smokers.[46] The
basis for this effect is not known, but
possibilities include an effect of nicotine
as a dopamine stimulant.[46][65] Tobacco
smoke contains compounds that act as
MAO inhibitors that also might contribute
to this effect.[66]
Antioxidants, such as vitamins C and D,
have been proposed to protect against the
disease, but results of studies have been
contradictory and no positive effect has
been proven.[46] The results regarding fat
and fatty acids have been contradictory,
with various studies reporting protective
effects, risk-increasing effects or no
effects.[46] Also, there have been
preliminary indications of a possible
protective role of estrogens and anti-
inflammatory drugs.
  Impaired posture and
balance. Your posture may
become stooped, or you may
have balance problems as a
result of Parkinson's disease.
 Loss of automatic
movements. In Parkinson's
disease, you may have a
decreased ability to perform
unconscious movements,
including blinking, smiling or
swinging your arms when you
walk.
 Speech changes. You may have
speech problems as a result of
Parkinson's disease. You may
speak softly, quickly, slur or
hesitate before talking. Your
speech may be more of a
monotone rather than with the
usual inflections.
 Writing changes. It may become
hard to write, and your writing
may appear small.

STROKE
ischemic stroke (caused by blood
clots)
hemorrhagic stroke (caused by
ruptured blood vessels that cause
brain bleeding)
transient ischemic attack (TIA) (a
“mini-stroke,” caused by a temporary
blood clot)
numbness or weakness that starts
suddenly, most commonly on either the
left or right side of the body (face, arms,
or legs are often affected)
confusion, difficulty comprehending
language, or trouble talking that begins
without warning
sudden vision problems (in one eye or
both)
severe, piercing headache, with no clear
cause, that starts suddenly
difficulty walking because of sudden loss
of balance or dizziness
The brain is an extremely complex organ
that controls various body functions. If a
stroke occurs and blood flow can't reach
the region that controls a particular body
function, that part of the body won't work
as it should.
If the stroke occurs toward the back of the
brain, for instance, it's likely that some
disability involving vision will result. The
effects of a stroke depend primarily on the
location of the obstruction and the extent
of brain tissue affected.
Strokes are often deadly—but they can be
prevented. The NSA states that around 80
percent of all strokes can be avoided by
taking some steps:
check your blood pressure and
cholesterol levels regularly
don’t smoke, and drink alcohol only in
moderation
exercise regularly
eat a low-fat, low-salt diet
Managing your risk for stroke with simple
but important lifestyle changes can go a
Within the category of ischemic strokes,
there are two sub-types of strokes caused
by blood clots:
An embolic stroke occurs when a blood
clot forms in your body and eventually
reaches your brain.
A thrombotic stroke is caused by a clot in
an artery that supplies blood to your brain,
known as “thrombosis.” Thrombosis can
be “large vessel” or “small vessel”
depending on the size of the artery
affected.
There are two kinds of thrombosis that
can lead to a stroke: large vessel
thrombosis and small vessel disease, also
called “lacunar infarction.” Thrombotic
stroke is caused by an artery disease
called atherosclerosis, which is followed
by the formation of blood clots.
Small vessel disease, or “lacunar
infarction,” is the other type of stroke-
causing thrombosis. Small vessel disease
develops from a blood clot in a small
artery.
According to the NSA, researchers are
uncertain about the exact cause of
lacunar infarction. But they do know that
the condition is related to high blood
pressure.
long way towards prevention.
Right Brain
The effects of a stroke depend on several
factors, including the location of the
obstruction and how much brain tissue is
affected. However, because one side of
the brain controls the opposite side of the
body, a stroke affecting one side will
result in neurological complications on the
side of the body it affects. For example, if
the stroke occurs in the brain's right side,
the left side of the body (and the left side
of the face) will be affected, which could
produce any or all of the following:
Paralysis on the left side of the body
Vision problems
Quick, inquisitive behavioral style
Memory loss
Left Brain
If the stroke occurs in the left side of the
brain, the right side of the body will be
affected, producing some or all of the
following:
Paralysis on the right side of the body
Speech/language problems
Slow, cautious behavioral style
Memory loss
Brain Stem
When stroke occurs in the brain stem,
depending on the severity of the injury, it
can affect both sides of the body and may
leave someone in a ‘locked-in’ state.
When a locked-in state occurs, the patient
is generally unable to speak or achieve
any movement below the neck.