Nervous System Diseases

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of irreversible dementia (gradual loss of memory,
intellect, rational thought and social skills). Nearly 7 out of 10 people with dementia have the
Alzheimer’s type. While Alzheimer’s disease affects up to 1 in 10 Australians over 65 years of
age, and up to 3 in 10 Australians over 85, it is not a normal part of ageing. The brain contains
millions of brain cells (neurons) that organise how the brain stores memories, learns habits and
shapes our personality. Signals pass along the connections between brain cells in the form of
chemicals called neurotransmitters. Alzheimer’s disease affects these cells and chemicals,
disturbing memory, impairing thinking and causing behaviour changes over time. People with
Alzheimer’s disease eventually need long-term care and support.

Bell’s palsy is a sudden weakness or paralysis in one side of the face. It is caused by
inflammation or damage to the facial nerve. It is usually temporary — most people start to get
better in 2 weeks and are fully recovered in 3 to 6 months. A few people don’t recover fully and
are left with some weakness or paralysis of the muscles in their face.

Cerebral palsy is a condition that affects body movements due to brain injury. The injury can
happen before, during or after birth and does not get worse over time. The brain damage affects
body movement and posture. It often shows up as either floppy or stiff muscles, or involuntary
muscle movements. Cerebral palsy can affect movement, coordination, muscle tone and posture.
It can also be associated with impaired vision, hearing, speech, eating and learning. The damage
to the brain is permanent. There is no cure. Life expectancy is normal or near normal in mild
cerebral palsy, but the effects of cerebral palsy can cause stress to the body and premature
ageing.

Epilepsy is a long-term brain condition where a person has repeated seizures. It is thought to
affect about 3 in every 100 Australians. Having just one seizure is not considered to be epilepsy
— about half the people who have one seizure never have another seizure. Other conditions such
as fever, diabetes, heart conditions and alcohol withdrawal can also cause seizures. Epilepsy is
not one single condition; rather it is a range of different conditions that can cause seizures.

Motor neurone disease (MND) is the name for a group of diseases that affects particular nerves
known as motor nerves, or motor neurons. In MND, those neurons generate and die and slowly
the muscles become weaker. This eventually leads to paralysis. It is also known as Lou Gehrig's
disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system. It affects
more than 25,000 people in Australia and is 3 times more common in women than in men. MS
means there is damage to the protective sheath (known as myelin) that surrounds the nerve fibres
in the brain and spinal cord. This damage causes scars, or lesions, in the nervous system,
meaning that the nerves can’t send signals round the body properly. A person's risk of
developing MS is increased if they have a close relative with the condition. The cause of MS is
not known, but theories include that it is an autoimmune disease; that it is caused by genetic or
environmental factors (it is more common the further away from the equator you live); and that it
is caused by a virus.

Neurofibromatosis is a genetic condition characterised by the growth of neurofibromas. These

are a type of tumour that is usually benign, or non-cancerous, although in rare cases they can be
cancerous. These neurofibromas can form wherever there are nerve cells in the body.
Neurofibromatosis is not curable, but it is manageable and many people with the condition lead
normal lives.

Parkinson's disease is a disorder of the nervous system. It results from damage to the nerve cells
that produce dopamine, a chemical that is vital for the smooth control of muscles and movement.

Sciatica is a condition that can lead to pain in the back and legs. It occurs when pain travels
along the path of the sciatic nerve. This nerve starts in the lower spine, and travels through the
hip and buttock and down the back of the leg to the foot. There are a range of different causes of
sciatica. In most cases, the condition gets better over time, either on its own or with treatment.

Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful, blistering rash. It is caused by the varicella-
zoster virus, which is the same virus that causes chickenpox. You can only get shingles if you
have had chickenpox in the past. The shingles rash develops into painful blisters that may also be
itchy, usually on one side of the body, either on the face, chest, back, abdomen or pelvis. They
can take several weeks to settle.