The nervous system is responsible for the regulation and the coordination of various activities of the body. The nervous system consists of two major divisions; central nervous system and peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system consists of the brain and the spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system consists of all the other neural elements of the body including the peripheral nerves and the autonomic nerves. When any a part of the nervous system becomes affected, it can present difficulties with the movement, speech, breathing, learning, memory and the senses. There are over 600 neurologic diseases that include the vascular disorders such as stroke, infections such as meningitis, structural disorders like spinal tumors, functional disorders like epilepsy and degeneration such as Alzheimer disease.
Alzheimer’s disease
This is a form of dementia that affects the individual’s intellectual abilities, memory and presents difficulty with thinking and social skills. The initial symptom can include confusion or problems with remembering things. This is a progressive disease that develops from the degeneration and the death of brain cells. The survival rate of this condition is estimated at eight to ten years from the first onset of symptoms. The exact cause of Alzheimer’s is not known but develops from the protein accumulation in the brain that forms structures known as ‘plaques’ that affects the normal connections of nerve cells and reducing the size of the brain. There is no cure for the disease but medications and supportive care can help individuals manage the condition.
Meningitis
This is the inflammation of the outer membranes of the brain and the spinal cord. This occurs because of a bacterial, a viral infection, exposure to certain drugs or injuries that affect the fluid surrounding the brain and the spinal cord. The common symptoms of meningitis include the sudden onset of fever, headache, stiff neck, altered mental state, nausea, vomiting and photophobia. Some type of meningitis can be life-threatening while other forms may not require treatment improving on its own within a few weeks.
Muscular dystrophy
Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a group of diseases that causes weakness and loss of muscle mass. Some of the affected individuals can lose their ability to walk and present trouble with breathing and swallowing. There are various types of muscular dystrophy with different symptoms that can occur in infancy or childhood. Some of the types of muscular dystrophy include Duchenne MD, myotonic dystrophy, limb-girdle MD and Becker MD.
Epilepsy
This can affect any part of the body and is caused by the abnormal electrical events in the brain. The symptoms can differ among the affected cases that may be accompanied with symptoms of neurological problems. Some of the epilepsy symptoms include temporary confusion, loss of consciousness, jerky movements of the arms and the legs. The individuals affected with epilepsy can also exhibit more than a single type of seizure. Some of the types of seizures include focal seizure, absence seizure, myoclonic seizure, tonic seizure and tonic-clonic seizures. The treatment for epilepsy consists of anti-seizure medications that can decrease the frequency and the intensity when it occurs.
References
https://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/bacterial.html
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Muscular-dystrophy/Pages/Symptoms.aspx
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/epilepsy/diagnosis-treatment/treatment/txc-20117241
