Disorders of nervous

Overview of Nervous System

• What is the nervous system?

The nervous system is a complex, sophisticated system that regulates and coordinates body
activities. It is made up of two major divisions, including:

• Central nervous system. This consists of the brain and spinal cord.

• Peripheral nervous system. This consists of all other neural elements, including the
peripheral nerves and the autonomic nerves.

In addition to the brain and spinal cord, principal organs of the nervous system include the following:

• Eyes

• Ears

• Sensory organs of taste

• Sensory organs of smell

• Sensory receptors located in the skin, joints, muscles, and other parts of the body

What are some disorders of the nervous system?

The nervous system is vulnerable to various disorders. It can be damaged by the following:

• Trauma

• Infections

• Degeneration

• Structural defects

• Tumors

• Blood flow disruption

• Autoimmune disorders

Disorders of the nervous system

• Disorders of the nervous system may involve the following:

• Vascular disorders, such as stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), subarachnoid

hemorrhage, subdural hemorrhage and hematoma, and extradural hemorrhage

• Infections, such as meningitis, encephalitis, polio, and epidural abscess

 • Structural disorders, such as brain or spinal cord injury, Bell's palsy, cervical spondylosis,
carpal tunnel syndrome, brain or spinal cord tumors, peripheral neuropathy, and Guillain-
Barré syndrome

• Functional disorders, such as headache, epilepsy, dizziness, and neuralgia

Degeneration, such as Parkinson disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS),
Huntington chorea, and Alzheimer disease

Signs and symptoms of nervous system disorders

The following are the most common general signs and symptoms of a nervous system disorder.
However, each individual may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:

• Persistent or sudden onset of a headache

• A headache that changes or is different

• Loss of feeling or tingling

• Weakness or loss of muscle strength

• Loss of sight or double vision

• Memory loss

• Impaired mental ability

• Lack of coordination

• Muscle rigidity

• Tremors and seizures

• Back pain which radiates to the feet, toes, or other parts of the body

• Muscle wasting and slurred speech

• New language impairment (expression or comprehension)

Healthcare providers who treat nervous system disorders

• Healthcare providers who treat nervous system disorders may have to spend a lot of time
working with the patient before making a probable diagnosis of the specific condition. Many
times, this involves performing numerous tests to eliminate other conditions, so that the
probable diagnosis can be made

Healthcare providers who treat nervous system disorders

• Neurology. The branch of medicine that manages nervous system disorders is

called neurology. The medical healthcare providers who treat nervous system disorders are
 called neurologists. Some neurologists treat acute strokes and cerebral aneurysms using
endovascular techniques.

• Neurological surgery. The branch of medicine that provides surgical intervention for nervous
system disorders is called neurosurgery, or neurological surgery. Surgeons who operate as a
treatment team for nervous system disorders are called neurological surgeons or
neurosurgeons.

Healthcare providers who treat nervous system disorders

• Neuroradiologists and interventional radiologists. Radiologists that specialize in the

diagnosis of neurological conditions using imaging and in the treatment of certain neurologic
conditions such as cerebral aneurysms, acute strokes, and vertebral fractures, as well as
biopsies of certain tumors.

• Rehabilitation for neurological disorders. The branch of medicine that provides

rehabilitative care for patients with nervous system disorders is called physical medicine and
rehabilitation. Healthcare providers who work with patients in the rehabilitation process are
called physiatrists.

Nervous system diseases

• ACUTE SPINAL CORD INJURY (SCI)

Car accidents, falls, and other injuries are a common cause of acute spinal cord injury.

• AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS (ALS)

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a fatal neurological disorder that causes progressive degeneration of
nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain. It is often referred to as Lou Gehrig disease.

• ALZHEIMER DISEASE

Alzheimer disease is a disease that affects the brain and nervous system. It is a type of dementia that
happens when nerve cells in the brain die.

• BELL PALSY

Bell's palsy is an unexplained episode of facial muscle weakness or paralysis that begins suddenly
and worsens over 48 hours. It is caused by a damaged facial nerve.

• BRAIN TUMORS

A brain tumor is an abnormal growth of tissue in the brain. The tumor can either originate in the
brain itself or come from another part of the body and travel to the brain.

There are more than 600 neurologic diseases. Major types include

• Diseases caused by faulty genes, such as Huntington's disease and muscular dystrophy

• Problems with the way the nervous system develops, such as spina bifida
• Degenerative diseases, where nerve cells are damaged or die, such as Parkinson's
disease and Alzheimer's disease

• Diseases of the blood vessels that supply the brain, such as stroke

• Injuries to the spinal cord and brain

• Seizure disorders, such as epilepsy

• Cancer, such as brain tumors

• infections, such as meningitis