A & P Chapter 8 Nervous System Diseases

Emboli

This could be a thrombus or a piece of fatty plaque that has broken loose from anoyher part of the body and then travels within the arteries and eventually causes an occlusion.

Thrombus

A blood clot, most often caused by atherosclerosis. The clot blocks the blood flow and causes the part of the brain supplied by the artery to begin to die. About 80% of CVAs are caused by this.

Multiple Sclerosis

A disese that affects the central nervous system. Considered an autoimmune disease, it gradually deteriorates the myelin sheath in the CNS, causing short-circuits within the CNS. There is no cure but immunosuppressive therapy is hopeful.

Parkinson's disease

A disorder of the basal ganglia where the neurotransmitter dopamine begin to deteriorate and production of dopamine decreases. Disease progresses and at present there is no cure. A medication, L-dopa, is used to treat this disease, but it does not completely relieve symptoms and progression of the disease.

Aneurysm

A hemorrhage in an artery. In the brain, the artery ruptures because of weakened walls and causes blood to drain into the surrounding brain tissue.

Aphasia

A person's inability to use languge. It can be speech, which would be an inability to form words or use words. It can also be associated with auditory, in which the person cannot interpret sound waves, not able to distinguish sounds or understand speech. Visual aphasia is a form of word blindness in which the person cannot distinguish written words.

Alzheimer's disese

A progressive, incurable form of mental deterioration. In the early stages, it may seem to be senile dementia, but later stages progress verydifferently from dementia. More than just forgetfullness. Patient becomes unable to talk and eventually cannot walk or move on their own.

CVA

Cerebrovascular Accident--otherwise known as stroke-- can be caused by several problems. Thrombus, emboli, or aneurysm are the three most common causes.

Spinal cord injuries

Usually cause paralysis because of the inability of the CNS neurons to regenerate themselves. The injury is usually listed as between T12 and S1 or C7 and C8. The location of the injury will determine the extent of paralysis.

Shingles

Varicella zoster, which is a mutation ov varicella (chickenpox) that resides in the dorsal root ganglia after a person has had chickenpox. Causes eruptions of herpes type blisters along the infected spinal nerve.

Lumbar Puncture

commonly known as a spinal tap. This is a diagnostic procedure where a small amount of CSF is withdrawn from the lumbar area. A needle is usually inserted between L-4 and L-5 in the sub-arachnoid space. The CSF is analyzed for white blood cells, red blood cells, and bacteria