Neurological Disorders - Where it all begins

biochemicalbreakdo
Jan 18
5 min read

By Inaaya Syeda

Key Words:

Neurology: Speciality focused on diagnosing and treating disorders of the nervous system which encompasses the brain, spinal cord, and nerves
Nervous System: the body's complex communication system, consisting of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. It receives, interprets and responds to stimuli through electrical and chemical signals
Central nervous system (CNS): The central nervous system is made of the brain and spinal cord
Peripheral Nervous system: The network of nerves outside the CNS that connects the CNS to the rest of the body
Musculature: The system or arrangement of muscles in a body, part of the body or an organ
CT scans: Non-invasive medical imaging test that uses X-rays and a computer to create detailed, cross-sectional images of the body’s internal structures
MRI scans: Imagine technique that uses a strong magnetic field, radiowaves, and a computer to create detailed, cross-sectional images of the body’s internal organs, tissue and bones
Congenital conditions: A health problem or abnormality that is present at or before birth, these are also known are birth defects
Neurodegenerative disorders: A term used for a range of incurable and progressive disorders that involved the breakdown and eventual death of neurons, the primary nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord
Neuromuscular conditions: Any disease that affects the nerves controlling voluntary muscles or the muscles themselves
Sickle cell Disease (SCD): Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that affect hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen through the body

Neurology - An Introduction

Neurology is a subdivision of medical science that focuses on the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of most, if not all, diseases and disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and neurons, collectively known as the nervous system. Neurology focuses on the neural systems, central and peripheral, and the defects and disorders that directly affect these systems. However, sometimes diseases in the musculature can be classified as neurological issues. To study a person's nervous system, we use a plethora of imaging and scans, such as CT scans, MRI scans, EEG, which assesses the electrical activity of the brain, and any infections that might be present in the nervous system can be identified by examining cerebrospinal fluid(CSF).

Neurological Disorders

Neurological disorders often occur due to genetic changes like congenital conditions, which are abnormal development of ur nervous system, injury or damage to the nervous system, infection, tumors, and strokes. How can you or family members identify whether you might have a disorder?

Common symptoms are:

Headaches, back and neck pains
Muscle spasm, paralysis, weakness, etc.
Loss of feeling, overstimulation to touch and temperature, and numbness
Insomnia, loud snoring, and uncontrollable movement during sleep
Fainting and seizures
Slow or slurred speech
Mood swings, memory loss, confusion, and difficulty learning or processing information

These are just a few common symptoms people may have; however, they can vary in severity and type depending on the disorder. Neurological disorders are troublesome to public health; there are multiple types of disorders like Neurodegenerative disorders, Neuromuscular conditions, Brain conditions, Spine Conditions, and Peripheral nerve conditions.

The most severe kind of disorders are Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's, also known as the ‘Shaking Palsy’. Neurodegenerative diseases are those that are progressive disorders that involve the breakdown and eventual death of neurons and the primary nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Neurological disorders can be considered to be common all over the world, considering that there are so many kinds and that some disorders occur more commonly than others.

Common Neurological Disorders

The most common Neurological Disorders are Stroke, Epilepsy, Headaches, Dementia, Parkinson's disease and Multiple Sclerosis. These diseases can sometimes be completely treated but unfortunately for Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, treatment primarily works by minimizing symptoms rather than as a complete cure.

Strokes occur when there is a stop in blood flow to any part of your brain, which can affect speech and movement and can result in taking a lot of time to recover. The risk of strokes can increase when you're over 50 years old, you have Sickle cell Disease (SCD), unhealthy lifestyle, intake of combined contraceptive pills, etc. If you have high blood pressure, diabetes, atrial fibrillation (irregular/fast heartbeats), and high cholesterol, these can all increase chances of having a strokeIf doctors think you have experienced a stroke, they check blood pressure, take CT, MRI and Ultrasound scans and an Electrocardiogram (ECG)

First 24-hours after a stroke, you may receive; medication to get rid of blood clots, surgery to remove blood clots (thrombectomy) or the draining of fluid from the brain. For long-term treatment you can be given anticoagulants to prevent blood-clot formation, medicines to lower blood pressure and statins to lower cholesterol.

The condition epilepsy is one that causes seizures which can’t be cured but treatment can be used to manage symptoms. Symptoms can be your body being stiff or floppy, suddenly falling, jerking or twitching movements, urinating unintentionally, losing surrounding awareness, etc. Seizures can last from seconds up to minutes and will stop by itself. You might be conscious (aware) and remember the seizure after or not. There are different kinds of epileptic seizures, you may only have 1 type or more.

The main treatment is a medicine that prevents seizures known as anti-epileptic or anti-seizure medicine. Medication can be provided to use as an emergency if seizures last for a prolonged amount of time. Medicine recommended is dependent on age, gender and other conditions. Alternative treatments include surgery, putting electrical devices under the skin on the chest to help reduce seizures, etc.

Alzheimer's and Dementia:

Dementia is a syndrome related to a decline of brain functioning. This is not only about memory loss, it also encompasses the way you speak, think, feel and behave. Symptoms can be problems with memory loss, thinking speed, language/trouble speaking, understanding, judgement, mood, etc. People with dementia have problems maintaining relationships as they tend to lose interest in people or things they used to because of personality changes Some can experience hallucinations, difficulty maintaining their independence

Medicines used to treat Alzheimer’s disease are often also used for dementia, they help reduce symptoms but do not cure the disease. Many of the medicines used are Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors which prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine in the brain; a neurochemical which allows nerves to communicate. These include Donepezil, Exelin, & Reminyl that can be used for moderate to severe cases of both Alzheimer's and dementia respectively.

Alternatively, Memantine can be used for those who cannot take Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors as they instead block excessive amounts of the neurochemical glutamate. Doctors are also trying to use stem cells, which are specialized cells that can be used for any function when programmed to, for people with specific kinds of dementia and Alzheimer's, by triggering them to become brain cells.

Bibliography:

Cleveland Clinic. “Neurodegenerative Diseases.” Cleveland Clinic, 2023, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24976-neurodegenerative-diseases.

“Neurological Disorders: What They Are, Symptoms & Types.” Cleveland Clinic, 2024, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/neurological-disorders.

Levi, Roberto. Neurological Rehabilitation. 1 Jan. 2014, pp. 401–409,

https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-444-53632-7.01025-x.

Mandal, Ananya. “What Is Neurology?” News-Medical.net, 17 Jan. 2014,

www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Neurology.aspx.

National Health Service. “What Is Dementia.” Nhs.uk, NHS, 2023, www.nhs.uk/conditions/dementia/about-dementia/what-is-dementia/.

National Health service. “Stroke.” NHS, NHS, 2022,

www.nhs.uk/conditions/stroke/.

“Neurological Disorder.” University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, 6 Nov. 2023, www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/sussex-trauma-network/rehabilitation/conditions/neurological-disorder/.

NHS. “Diagnosis - Stroke.” NHS, 15 Aug. 2019,