This book describes Nerve Diseases, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related Diseases

The Nervous system comprises:

1.Central Nervous System

a.Brain

b.Spinal cord

2.Peripheral Nervous System

a.Neuron

b.Peripheral ganglia

c.Autonomic Nervous System

The nervous system comprises 2 basic types of cells:

1.Neurons - the actual nerve cell

2.Glia - Glial cells are support cells called astrocytes and oligodendrocytes and outnumber neurons

A neuron is a dedicated type of cell found in the nervous system of most humans

The neurons make use of electrical impulses and chemical signals to transmit information between different areas of the brain and between the brain and the rest of the nervous system.

Neurons have 3 basic components:

1.A cell body (soma)

Within the cell body is a nucleus which regulates the cell’s activities and contains the cell’s genetic material.

2.An axon

The axon appears like a long tail and transmits messages from the cell.

3.One or many dendrites

Dendrites appear like the branches of a tree and receive messages for the cell.

Neurons correspond with each other by sending chemicals, called neurotransmitters, across a tiny space, called a synapse, between the axons and dendrites of adjacent neurons

There are 3 classes of neurons:

1.Sensory neurons (or afferent neurons): send information from sensory receptors (e.g., in skin, eyes, nose, tongue, ears) toward the central nervous system.

2.Motor neurons (or efferent neurons): send information away from the central nervous system to muscles or glands.

They regulate voluntary muscle activity such as speaking and carry messages from nerve cells in the brain to the muscles.

3.Inter-neurons: send information between sensory neurons and motor neurons.

There are about 100 billion neurons alone in the brain and probably 10 time that amount in the human body.

Motor neuron disease (MND) is a rare but devastating illness

This leads to death through progressive muscular paralysis.

MND can cause wrist drop, stiffness, hand and leg weakness

It can also cause respiratory muscular weakness and breathlessness

Bulbar paralysis may lead to difficulty in speech and swallowing

There is also weakness of the throat and mouth muscles with drooling

The diagnosis of MND is primarily clinical with progressive weakness.

Electrodiagnostic testing of the UMN and LMN can confirm the diagnosis

Riluzole should be offered to all patients with MND to slow disease progression.

Regular physical, occupational therapy will prolong life and prevent complications

Facial Palsy is the pressure on the facial nerve causing paralysis

The cause is unknown but ranged from hereditary to sarcoidosis

The facial muscles on one side is weak and drooping

The eye cannot close properly and there is saliva dribbling

The treatment is to start urgently on a course of oral prednisolone

Physiotherapy of the facial muscles is used to restore the facial muscle tone.

The eyes need to be protected by wearing glasses or using eye ointment

Most patients will recover within 3 weeks of treatment

Huntington's Chorea is a progressive degenerative brain condition

The affected basal ganglia causes choreiform movements and mental deterioration

-An original poem by Kenneth Kee

Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease (CMT) is an inherited motor and sensory neuropathy

This hereditary sensorimotor neuropathy and peroneal muscular atrophy is a heterogeneous inherited disorder of nerves that is featured by:

1.Loss of muscle tissue and touch sensation predominantly in the feet and legs

2.Loss of muscle and sensation in the hands and arms in the advanced stages of disease.

Other diseases are Parkinson Disease, Dementia, Stroke, Neuralgia

TABLE OF CONTENT

Introduction

Chapter 1 The Nerve Cell

Chapter 2 Nerve and Diseases

Chapter 3 Hungtington Chorea

Chapter 4 Parkinson Disease

Chapter 5 Charcot Marie Tooth

Chapter 6 Motor Neuron Disease

Chapter 7 Facial Palsy

Chapter 8 Stroke

Epilogue