Neurological ConditionsHuntington’s DiseaseParkinson’s DiseaseAlzheimer’s Disease

Multiple SclerosisEpilepsy

What is Huntington’s Disease?

A fatal hereditary disorder where neurons degenerate

Affects cognitive functions and muscle coordination

Causes of HD

Autosomal dominant disorder Defect on chromosome 4 Abnormal HD gene has extra repeats

CAG repeats normally 10-28 imes With Huntington’s, the repeat is 36-120

times Normal protein called Huntingtin

Abnormal protein product is larger Toxic to brain cells but don’t know why

(mechanism unknown)

Manifestation of HD

More common in Western Europeans 70 times to 100 time greater chance for

Caucasian First manifest: middle age (35-45) Death within 10-20 years of first symptoms As the gene is passed down through

families, the number of repeats tend to get larger. The larger the number of repeats, the greater the chance of developing symptoms at an earlier age.

Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159552.php

Symptoms of HD

Behavior changes may occur before movement problems Hallucinations, moodiness, irritability,

paranoia Abnormal / unusual movement:

Jerking, uncontrollable movements Facial movements, including grimaces

Dementia progresses: Speech problems Personality changes

Treatments for HD

No cure No way to stop the degeneration Treatment aims to lessen severity of

symptoms

What is Parkinson’s Disease?

A progressive degenerative disorder of the CNS

Recognized by a person’s impaired movement, speech and coordination of the body

Cause of PD Degeneration of the

basal ganglia (brainstem) where dopamine-producing neurons are normally found.

Dopamine: a chemical needed for voluntary movement, attention, learning, cognition, sleep and mood.

http://www.holistic-online.com/images/PD-ama-schematic1.GIF

Symptoms of PD Low levels of dopamine leads to the inhibition of

the neural pathways that are responsible for movement Tremor Muscle rigidity / stiffness, slow movements Poor balance and coordination Stooped posture

Manifestation of PD

Age of onset: 60 years Prevalence: 1 in every 100 persons

over 60

Treatment for PD

Chronic disorder with no known cure Main goal of treatments is to control

symptoms Living a healthy lifestyle is crucial to

managing PD Temporary relief from medication: L-Dopa

increase dopamine levels in the brain Severe side effects such as hallucination,

nausea, vomiting

What is Alzheimer’s Disease?

Progressive degenerative brain disease

Neurons deteriorate Brain atrophy: lose mass

Brain components affected

Cerebral cortex: higher brain functions: thought,

reasoning etc. Motor skills Ability to control the five senses Ability to retain information & solve

problems Hippocampus

formation of new memories (amnesia)

Brain components affected

Cortex

Hippocampus

Due to large number of brain cell death, ventricles grow

Ventricles

Cause of AD

Proteins (plaques and tangles) that somehow block communication among nerve cells

Destruction and death of nerve cells Not enough acetylcholine Too much aluminum in the brain

Cause of AD: Plaques

A plaque is the build up of a protein in the spaces between nerve cells

Cause of AD: Tangles

A tangle is a twisted strand of protein that form inside nerve cells

Manifestation of AD

75% are mostly women Early-Onset Alzheimer’s

under the age of 65 Usually mild conditions Forgetfulness Retains the ability to do tasks

Alzheimer’s above the age of 65 Early symptoms can be mistaken for old

age

Symptoms of AD

Difficulty forming new memories Disorientation Deepening confusion about events,

time and place Mood and behavior changes Unfounded suspicions about family,

friends and professional caregivers

Stages of AD

Early Stage Mild loss of memory Forgetfulness Changes in mood and behaviour continue to live normal lives

Stages of AD

Middle Stage Decrease in cognitive and functional abilities Large decrease in memory Mood swings and erratic behaviour caregiver needed to help with everyday tasks

Stages of AD

Late stage Lose control of most cognitive abilities Need 24 hour care

Started with the lost of memory and leads to death

Treatment for AD

Current medication can not cure AD nor stop it from progressing but can lessens symptoms of memory loss and confusion

What is Multiple Sclerosis?

Neurological disease affecting the CNS

Axons become demyelinated Axons are withered:

no transmission of electrical impulse

Replaced with scar tissue: Multiple = many, sclerosis =

scars block formation of new myelin slows down electrical impulse

http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/multiple-sclerosis-demyelinization.gif

Cause of MS

Suspected to be an autoimmune disease Immune system views myelin sheath as

foreign and attacks. Myelin sheath becomes inflamed and

damaged. Occurs in small patches over the CNS

Other suspected theories May be triggered by virus or bacteria May be genetic although MS gene has not

yet been found

Manifestation of MS

Women are 2-3 times more likely to get MS than men.

Affects Caucasians more than other races.

Symptoms of MS Unpredictable, affects

each person in different ways Different symptoms Varying severities Depends on location of

damage

Body functions: Bladder & bowel problems Difficulty with swallowing Slurred speech Hearing / vision loss Dizziness, headaches

Muscular: stiffness / spasms Numbness / weakness /

fatigue Awkward gait / difficulty

walking Loss of coordination Uncontrollable tremors Paralysis

Cognitive: Mental health problems /

depression Memory problems

Pain, seizures

Treatment for MS

Treatment to reduce number of relapses / lessen severity (anti-inflammatory steroids)

Medications to help manage symptoms Rehabilitation programs Reducing burden of symptoms:

Flu shot Avoid stress Avoid heat Regular exercise, muscle-stretching exercise

What is Epilepsy?

Recurring unprovoked seizures

A neurological condition that occurs during an imbalance in the brain’s electrical signals

Imbalance caused by a misfire of nerve cells and hyperactivity within the brain

Cause of Epilepsy

can be genetically inherited, however exact pathology is uncertain, possible explanations include mutations which affect protein ion channels

no discernable difference between the brain of a healthy individual and one with inherited epilepsy

Epilepsy Diagnosis

Several tests need to been performed to confirm illness is epilepsy Electroencephalography

(EEG) Brain imaging (CT, MRI,

PET) Blood tests Developmental,

neurological, and behavioral tests

MRI

Manifestation of Epilepsy

Can occur at any age More likely to occur in children and

seniors Elderly that have diseases have

increased risk of epilepsy Epilepsy in adults generally result from

brain lesions or brain tumours Seizures can be triggered by certain

stimulants such as alcohol, flashing lights, hormone changes

Symptoms of Epilepsy

Convulsions Muscle spasms Twitches Tics Muscle pain/tremors Loss of consciousness Strange sensations Continuous seizures

Treatment for Epilepsy

No cure Treatment: Reducing the severity and

frequency of seizures Anticonvulsant medications Surgery can be used to prevent severity

of seizure Corpus callosotomy Vagus Nerve Stimulation Warning systems