Non-epileptic seizures are incidents that bear a resemblance to epileptic seizures but are not directly triggered by electrical changes in the brain. There are several factors that cause a non-epileptic seizure and some of them include severe mental and emotional trauma, migraine, narcolepsy, and other physiological conditions that have an effect on the flow of […]
Chances are that you have known someone who has experienced a stroke, or perhaps even experienced this event yourself. People often view heart attacks and strokes as two of the major risks factors that the elderly face, and they are right. The fear of strokes and heart attacks in the popular imagination probably results from […]
An estimated 2-4 percent of the population suffers from fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a sometimes controversial diagnosis based on wide spread pain, joint stiffness and fatigue. Fibromyalgia pain is also often experienced with a variety of other symptoms, including difficulty swallowing, bowel and bladder problems, numbness or tingling, and cognitive dysfunction. Fibromyalgia suffers also often suffer […]
No one is immune to migraine headaches and it would not be surprising if you have quite a few migraine headaches in your life time. Depending on the severity of the headaches you have though, different treatment methods should be considered. There are some very rare cases where the headaches are so painful that the […]
Error in chromosome 15 can result in the development of Angelman syndrome. Angelman syndrome is a disorder that has a few serious symptoms that can affect how well a person’s life is. The condition can be treated but none of the spoken cures have been proven to be especially effective. There are still many studies […]
There is almost no pain in this world that is as bad as back pain. Back pain can cripple the largest, strongest man after just a few minutes and back pain left untended can turn into something much worse with life altering consequences. Back spasms are one of those back pains that can vary in […]
Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) is a protein that is necessary for the growth and health of nerve cells. Without Nerve Growth Factor the nerve cells would not grow properly and can being to branch out or elongate. This protein is produced naturally by the body. NGF was first discovered in the 1950s by Stanley Cohen […]
Neurofibromatosis is the name for a disorder that affects the skin and nervous system. This disorder is divided into two groups: Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF-1, also known as von Recklinghausen’s disease) and Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF-2). Type 1 is the most common. This disorder is occurs in approximately 1 in 40,000 people. Some experts suspect […]
Atrophy is a partial or complete wasting away of any given body part. Most commonly, however, muscles atrophy for a variety of reasons. In the case of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the atrophy is an inheritable condition; it is a group of inherited diseases that result in the gradual degeneration of the spinal muscles. Eventually, […]
Huntington’s disease is a hereditary neurological disorder of the central nervous system. It will eventually cause a progressive degeneration of the cells in the brain, which is known to impair your ability to think, talk, walk and reason. The disease was first described by the American doctor, George Huntingdon in 1872. He actually studied a […]
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating disease. MS causes the protective sheath surrounding the nerves to be destroyed by the body’s immune system. When the protective sheath around nerves is destroyed the result is an interference with the brain’s communication with the rest of the body. MS symptoms can vary among people and will depend […]
The nervous system controls everything the body does, including breathing, digestion, movement of muscles and feeling sensations of heat and cold. There are three types of nerves in our body. Sensory nerves relay information from muscles and skin to brain which gives sensation of touch, pain and temperature. Motor nerves relay information from the central […]
Cerebral palsy is typically treated in order to make sure that the condition does not worsen over time. Unfortunately it is not curable and numerous complications can arise that are related to abnormal muscle tone and many other issues. In the main, cerebral palsy treatments are aimed at specifically improving your quality of life, allowing […]
Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. This disease afflicts people all over the world and is not confined to any certain race however it is more prevalent in Caucasians. It is usually found in the elderly. There are approximately four million people who have this disease globally. In the United […]
Stenosis, in general, is a narrowing of a normally large opening; just as spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal column, foraminal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal foramen, or the hole through which a spinal nerve passes as it exits the spine. In a normal spine, there is enough space, as there […]
Do you have a loved one who has been affected by dementia? The first question you may ask is, “Is it treatable?” Experts would love to say yes, and in fact, in some types of dementia, this is very well the case. Unfortunately, in others, this is not true. Dementia is just a general term […]
Pick’s disease will cause a slow shrinking of the brain cells due to an excessive build-up of protein. It is actually an extremely rare form of dementia. People who suffer from Pick’s will initially show many behavioral and personality changes and this will eventually lead to the deterioration of their ability to speak coherently. Although […]
Strokes are known to be extremely serious and can result in disability or even death. There are numerous methods to improve the functions of the body after someone has suffered a stroke and these will include rehabilitation, physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy. By undergoing stroke rehabilitation you are able to retrain the brain […]
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition with a multitude of causes; contrary to what you might think, it’s not just the result of sitting at the keyboard for hours. The carpal tunnel itself is a narrow passageway located on the palm-side of the wrist; its goal is to protect the main nerve in the hand […]
You’ve probably heard the term carpal tunnel syndrome; well, tarsal tunnel syndrome (TTS) is very similar to this condition, only it takes place in the ankle. The tarsal tunnel is a narrow space that lies on the inside of the ankle near the ankle bones. Covering this tunnel is a thick ligament that protects and […]
Serotonin syndrome is a potentially life-threatening disorder in which the body has too much serotonin. Learn about the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of serotonin syndrome in this article. What is Serotonin? Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, or a chemical that helps relay signals from one area of the brain to another. While the majority of […]
Carpal tunnel syndrome is also referred to as repetitive stress injury and it is estimated that in excess of 500,000 people in the US alone undergo carpal tunnel surgery every year. This is, without doubt, the most common hand surgery implemented each year. Following various trials it is believed that approximately 70% to 90% of […]
For hundreds of years, diabetics and people with poor circulation have had to deal with neuropathy. Neuropathy is caused by damage to your nerves which results in a loss of sensation, weakness and twitching, amongst other symptoms. Solving neuropathy is easy in theory, but not so easy in execution. Many diabetic sand other neuropathy sufferers […]
Huntington’s disease is a fatal hereditary disease that destroys neurons in areas of the brain involved in movement, intelligence, and emotions. Huntington’s is characterized by jerky uncontrollable movement of the limbs, trunk, and face; loss of mental abilities; and the increased psychiatric problems. Huntington’s disease generally appears in the age group of 30-50 years, but […]
Bell’s palsy is a type of facial paralysis; while it may be embarrassing and discomforting for those who have it, it doesn’t typically have serious consequences. Keep in mind that there are exceptions to that. It occurs when the nerve that controls the facial muscles on one side of the face becomes swollen and inflamed; […]
Cauda equina syndrome is a neurological condition affecting the spine and the nerve roots surrounding the spine. This very uncommon condition raises the need for emergency medical attention and treatment. Here is some background information: the spinal cord lengthens from the brain down through the spinal canal inside a structure called the vertebral column. There […]
Athetoid cerebral palsy refers to a category of reoccurring conditions that play a role in your body’s ability to move properly and also affect how well coordinated your muscles are. Athetoid cerebral palsy is a result of brain damage during pregnancy, delivery, or after delivery. While there are quite a few different types of cerebral […]
When you say the word, “Stroke” it is hard to believe there could ever be anything mini about it. After all, a stroke is a very scary thing and can be life ending. But mini strokes are actually different from full blown strokes and they do have their own, mini stroke treatment options. The Difference […]
Do you ever have those inconvenient memory lapses? Whether it’s not being able to remember the name of your first grade teacher or being unable to find where you parked your car in a parking lot, we all experience memory lapses from time to time. But for some people, memory loss is a serious problem. […]
For many children, school is a natural progression. In Kindergarten and first grade, they work on learning their alphabet and then, afterward, learning to read. But for some children, this natural progression does not go as planned. Teachers, parents and the students themselves will notice that they are not making progress in reading, or not […]