Parkinson's disease Some symptoms of Parkinson's disease are tremors (uncontrollable body movement/shaking), slowed movement, stiff muscles, poor posture, poor balance, speech changes and writing changes. The disease often starts with a tremor in one hand, and gradually gets worse. Causes: It is caused by nerve cell damage in the basal ganglia (area associated with movement), leading dopamine levels to drop. Some cases of Parkinson’s are hereditary, however the disease doesn't run in families in most cases. It's not known for sure what causes it, but it's predicted to be a mix of genetic and environmental factors. Treatments: There is no cure for Parkinson’s, but a common treatment is the medication levodopa. It is used to increase dopamine levels. Another treatment is deep brain stimulation for those who don't respond to medication. Electrodes are placed on parts of the brain and a small device is placed in the chest. The electrodes stimulate parts of the brain associated with movement to help against symptoms of Parkinson’s Epilepsy Symptoms of epilepsy include seizures, stiff muscles, uncontrollable jerking of limbs, staring spells, fainting, and temporary confusion. Causes: Epilepsy is a central nervous system disorder and seizures are a result of a sudden, uncontrolled electrical disturbance in the brain. Epilepsy can be caused by many things. Some forms of epilepsy are hereditary, caused by genetics. Other causes include brain injuries from head trauma, tumors, stroke, prenatal factors (infection in mother, poor nutrition or oxygen deficiencies), or developmental disorders, like autism. Treatments include anti-epileptic drugs, removing the part of the brain that causes seizures, placing a small device in the body to help control seizures, or a ketogenic diet, a special diet that helps control seizures. ● Increasingly Common ● Dementia Stroke Symptoms include sudden numbness and drooping of one side of the body, confusion, difficulty speaking or understanding speech, dizziness, and loss of balance. Causes: one type of stroke (Ischemic stroke) can be caused by restricted blood flow to the brain, from narrowed or blocked blood vessels. This type is most common. The other type (Hemorrhagic stroke) is caused by a leaking or ruptured blood vessel. Conditions that are linked to blood vessel damage are high blood pressure, overuse of blood thinners, aneurysms, head trauma, or an ischemic stroke leading to hemorrhage. Some diseases that can lead to stroke are high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. It is also connected to using tobacco. The main treatment for an ischemic stroke is a medication called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). It works by breaking down clots that prevent blood flow to the brain. tPA must be administered up to 3 hours after symptoms start in order to be effective. The treatment for hemorrhagic stroke is focused on minimizing bleeding and reducing pressure in the brain using a variety of methods.These include surgery, Coiling (endovascular embolization), and Stereotactic radiosurgery. Clinical depression Symptoms of Clinical depression can be both psychological and physical. Psychological symptoms include continues low mod, hopelessness, low self esteem, lack of motivation, and having thoughts of self harm or suicide. Physical symptoms include lack of energy, constipation, slowed moving or speaking, change in appetite and change in sleep patterns. Depression can physically change the brain and brain chemistry. Most commonly, the brain shrinks due to increased cortisol levels (stress hormone), especially the hippocampus, thalamus, frontal cortex, and prefrontal cortex. The severity of the shrinkage depends on the severity of the depression. While these regions shrink, the amygdala enlarges. This part of the brain is associated with emotion- and enlarged amygdala can lead to bipolar disorder. It’s unknown if cerebral inflammation causes depression or if depression causes cerebral inflammation, but the two are closely linked. Inflammation kills neurons, which reduces cognitive function and neuroplasticity. Causes for depression can vary widely and may involve multiple factors. Some examples of causes include stressful events, family history (depression can be hereditary), substance abuse, loneliness, and giving birth (postnatal depression). It is also believed you are more likely to get depression as you age. Treatments for clinical depression vary based on the severity. For mild depression, doctors recommend exercise and talking to someone- this can be a therapist or trusted friend. If you have mild to moderate depression that is not improving by using the former tactics, talking therapy can be helpful. Types include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and counseling. For moderate to severe depression, a doctor may prescribe antidepressants along with therapy. The combination of both is thought to be more effective than just one. For extremely severe depression, it is recommended to go to a mental health facility or psych ward to prevent harm to yourself or others. Huntington's disease Symptoms of Huntington's disease include movement difficulties, psychiatric, and cognitive disorders, difficulty concentrating, memory lapses, depression, and mood swings. The disease gets worse over time and people with Huntington's disease usually die within 10-30 years of symptoms appearing. Huntington's disease is caused by a mutation in the gene of the protein huntingtin. This leads to building blocks of DNA (specifically cytosine, adenine, and guanine) to replicate more than normal. This causes nerve cells in the brain to degenerate over time. The condition is genetic and children of someone with Huntington's disease have a 50% chance of getting the disease themselves. Thankfully, this condition is very rare. There is no current treatment to stop or reverse the effects of Huntington's disease, but treatments to reduce symptoms include physical therapy, talk therapy, and medications such as Xenazine and Austedo. Migraine Symptoms include severe headache often along with nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light/sound The exact cause of migraine is unknown, but they may be caused by abnormal brain activity temporarily affecting nerve endings. One theory of migraine pain is due to waves of activity by groups of excitable brain cells, which can cause the hormone serotonin (the hormone necessary to transmit messages between nerve cells), to narrow blood vessels. Migraines can be triggered by stress, sensory stimuli, sleep changes, weather changes, medications, and hormonal changes in women. Migraines can be treated with painkillers such as aspirin and ibuprofen, and they should be taken when symptoms of a migraine first appear in order to give time to absorb into the bloodstream. Opiate addiction Symptoms of Opiate addiction include weight loss, headaches, track marks, withdrawal from family/friends, depression, mood swings, poor impulse control, and disorientation. Using opiates just once is enough to cause opiate addiction in some people. A person's susceptibility depends on a variety of factors like genetics and how long opiates are used. There are many different causes including genetic, psychological, and environmental factors. Opiates are highly addictive because they activate reward centers in the brain by releasing endorphins, which stifles perception of pain and boosts feelings of pleasure. This creates a powerful, temporary sense of well-being. Once the effects wear off, a person wants to feel that again, so take opiates again. Over time, a person develops a tolerance, forcing them to take more in order to feel the same level of pleasure. Treatments include discontinuing the drug through the help of rehab, medication, or therapy. To prevent opiate addiction, opiates should be used for 3 days or less to deal with severe pain. The lowest dose for the least amount of time is the safest option. Creutzfeldt Jakob Symptoms include loss of intellect and memory, changes in personality, loss of balance and coordination, and slurred speech. Causes: Creutzfeldt Jakob is caused by a misshapen prion protein. These prions can build up in the brain, causing the production of other prions to be misshapen also. This causes brain cells to die. When a brain cell dies, it releases more prions that go on to kill other brain cells. Eventually, small holes and plaques (clusters of misfolded prions) form in the brain, causing the symptoms of Creutzfeldt Jakob and leads to death. Treatments: There is no cure for Creutzfeldt Jakob, but treatments that help treat symptoms include antidepressants, clonazepam, and sodium valproate. Many people with CJD create an “advance directive”, instructing on how the person wants to be treated for when they have lost the ability to make or communicate their wishes later in the course of the disease. Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease gets worse over time, and causes brain atrophy (shrinking) and death of brain cells, destroying the brain and causing the following symptoms: Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease include memory loss, poor decision making, difficulty reasoning or concentrating, difficulty performing basic tasks, and changes in personality and behavior. For example, someone with Alzheimer's disease may forget names of loved ones and familiar objects, forget conversations and appointments, get lost in familiar places, have difficulty multitasking, distrust others, socially withdraw, have delusions, and lose their inhibitions. Causes: The cause of Alzheimer's disease is unknown, but it may come from a combination of factors such as genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors. Both early onset and late onset Alzheimer's disease can be hereditary. Other possible causes include high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and stroke. Interestingly, people with higher levels of education are less likely to get Alzheimer's disease and its prevalence varies between race and gender. Treatments:There is no treatment for Alzheimer's disease, but some symptoms can be managed using inhibitors such as galantamine, rivastigmine, and donepezil, exercise, and memory training. Concussion And CTE CTE stands for chronic traumatic encephalopathy and can be caused by repeated concussions or blows to the head. Symptoms of concussion include headache, vomiting, confusion, low mood, balance problems, blurred vision, memory problems, and sensitivity to light and sound. Symptoms of CTE include short term memory loss, changes in mood, difficulty decision making, slurred speech, and parkinsonism (tremor, slow movement, stiff muscles). Causes: Concussion is caused by a blow to the head or body that causes the brain to jolt suddenly inside the skull. The brain can bump up against the skull or twist in the skull, causing chemical changes and sometimes hurting brain cells. Individual concussions are usually not life threatening, but repeated concussions can have serious consequences. CTE can be caused by repeated concussions, but concussion and CTE are two different conditions. CTE is common among athletes, veterans, and people with a history of head trauma, such as victims of domestic violence and people with epilepsy. Treatments: Concussions can be treated with mental and physical rest, allowing the body time to recover. This includes reduced physical activity, TV watching, video games, and socializing. There is no treatment for CTE, but it can be prevented by avoiding multiple head injuries. Polio There are two types of polio: paralytic and non-paralytic. Symptoms of nonparalytic polio include fever, sore throat, headache, vomiting, fatigue, and muscle stiffness/ weakness. This is the less severe form of polio that typically causes similar symptoms to a cold or flu. Paralytic polio starts with symptoms of nonparalytic polio, but after about a week it gets worse. Symptoms include loss of reflexes, floppy limbs (flaccid paralysis), and muscle pains/weakness. Paralytic polio can lead to permanent muscle paralysis, disability, bone deformities, and sometimes death. Causes: Polio is transmitted through direct contact with someone infected with the virus. It can also be spread through contaminated food and water, though this is more rare. Some people can be asymptomatic and still infect others. Polio attacks the central nervous system and symptoms vary based on what part of the spine/brain is attacked. Treatments: Nonparalytic polio can be treated with rest, and usually lasts around 10 days. There is no cure for paralytic polio, but physical therapy can help relieve muscle aches and stiffness. This can also help reduce weakness in the arms and legs, especially if started early in the virus. Multiple sclerosis Symptoms include pain, numbness, tingling, muscle spasms/stiffness/weakness, fatigue, vision problems, mobility problems, and difficulty with thinking and planning. Multiple sclerosis is caused by the immune system mistakenly attacking the nervous system, specifically the myelin sheath in the brain and nerves. The myelin sheath becomes inflamed in spots, which disrupts transmission of messages throughout the body. When inflammation stops, it can leave behind scars on the myelin sheath. It's not known exactly what causes MS, but some things increase the risk of getting it. Multiple sclerosis can be passed down through families, though this is relatively rare. A lack of sunlight (vitamin D), teenage obesity, and smoking have been found to increase risk of multiple sclerosis. Additionally, women are 2 to 3 times more likely to get MS. Treatments: There is no cure for MS, but symptoms of MS can be treated with a variety of tactics, including regular exercise, physiotherapy, speech therapy, and multiple drugs like baclofen, gabapentin, nabiximols, carbamazepine, steroids, and painkillers. Meningitis Symptoms include fever, cold hands/feet, confusion, rapid breathing, headache, rash, blotchy skin, sensitivity to bright light, fatigue, and seizures Causes: There are two types of meningitis: viral and bacterial. Viral meningitis is the most common type while bacterial meningitis is rarer and more severe. Meningitis can be caused by bacteria and viruses such as meningococcal bacteria, pneumococcal bacteria, enteroviruses, the mumps virus, and the herpes simplex virus. Meningitis can be spread through sneezing, coughing, and kissing. Meningitis is most often spread by people who carry associated viruses/bacteria in their nose and throat. It’s less common for meningitis to spread from another person with meningitis, but it can happen. Bacterial meningitis is caused by bacteria traveling through the bloodstream to the brain and spinal cord. Bacteria may also invade the menages, which can be caused by ear infection or skull fracture. Treatments: Viral meningitis usually goes away on its own and can be treated with painkillers, and rest. bacterial meningitis and severe viral meningitis can be treated in the hospital with antibiotics, fluids administered via IV, oxygen through face mask for trouble breathing, and steroids to try to reduce swelling in the brain. Cerebral Palsy Symptoms include feeding, drooling and swallowing difficulties, constipation, speaking and communication difficulties, seizures, change in sleep patterns, learning disabilities, hearing loss, and vision problems. There are 4 types of cerebral palsy. spastic cerebral palsy causes stiffness in muscles, reducing range of motion. dyskinetic cerebral palsy causes muscles to switch between stiffness and floppiness, causing spasms. ataxic cerebral palsy causes balance and coordination problems, clumsy movements, and tremors. mixed cerebral palsy has symptoms of multiple types of cerebral palsy. Causes: cerebral palsy is caused by problems during or after birth. Before birth these problems include damage to the baby’s white matter, resulting in reduced flow of blood, infection in the mother, stroke, or injury to the baby's brain in the womb. During birth these problems include asphyxiation during a difficult birth, serious head injury, low blood sugar, and stroke. Treatments: there is currently no cure for cerebral palsy but treatments to help symptoms include physiotherapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, surgery, and medication such as diazepam, melatonin, anti-seizure medication and painkillers. ALS (Lou Gehrigs) Symptoms:Difficulty walking (Tripping and falling), Weakness in hands, legs, feet or ankles, Slurred speech, trouble swallowing, twitching in arms, shoulders and tongue, Inappropriate crying, laughing or yawning, and Cognitive and behavioral changes. ALS primarily affects the neurons in charge of controlling voluntary movement. Motor cells die off over time and voluntary movement functions eventually don't work. Causes: The cause of ALS is unknown, but it is thought to be caused by both genetic and environmental factors. ALS is hereditary in 5-10% of cases, in other cases the cause is unknown. Treatments: There is no cure for ALS and no treatment found to slow the progress of the disease. Symptoms can be treated with Riluzole, Edaravone, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and technology like communication devices and breathing devices.
