Neurological Disorders

Original Editor- Elaine Lonnemann Top Contributors - Cindy John-Chu, Mohamed A Hassanin, Elaine Lonnemann, Admin, Kim Jackson, Lucinda hampton, Wendy Walker and Rucha Gadgil

This article is currently under review and may not be up to date. Please come back soon to see the finished work! (1/10/2020)

Introduction

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), neurological disorders are any diseases affecting the entirety of the nervous system (i.e. the central and peripheral nervous systems). These will be conditions involving the brain, spinal cord, cranial nerves, peripheral nerves, nerve roots, autonomic nervous system, neuromuscular junction and muscles.

Categories of Neurological Disorders

Neurological disorders can be classified based on their affectation of the Central Nervous System (CNS) or the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS). It is worthy to note that disorders of the nervous system can affect both adults and children.

Disorders of the CNS

Neurological conditions affecting the CNS include:

• Alzheimer's Disease: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by damage to areas of the brain that are responsible for thinking, learning and memory i.e cognition. This is largely due to the accumulation of certain proteins- beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles within the brain. The role of physiotherapy in providing regular exercise to prevent cognitive decline in patients with AD is largely supported by evidence. It achieves this largely due to factors such as neurogenesis and anti-inflamatory effects that help lower the pathophysiological hallmarks of the disease.
• Multiple System Atrophy: MSA is a progressive and highly debilitating disease of the CNS that is associated with Levo-dopa unresponsive parkinsonism and cerebellar, autonomic, motor and non-motor symptoms
• Rett Syndrome: RTS is a rare genetic disorder causing neurodevelopmental anomalies that result in severe mental and physical disability. It is common among females
• Traumatic Brain Injury: Occuring in both children and adults, TBI is defined according to Menon et al "as an alteration in brain function or other evidence of brain pathology, caused by an external force"
• Stroke: There are majorly two types of stroke- ischaemic and haemorrhagic. Ischaemic stroke occurs largely due to arterial occlusion in the brain, while haemorrhagic stroke occurs as a result of blood vessel aneurysms that eventually rupture within the brain. Strokes occur as a result of a number of risk factors that can be termed either modifiable or non-modifiable.
• Parkinson's Disease: Also known as "the shaking palsy", PD is consequent of death and loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of the thalamus and an accumulation of lewy bodies. PD is characterized by tremor at rest that eases off with voluntary movement, rigidity, bradykinesia, hypokinesia and akinesia.
• Migraine: is a chronic neurovascular condition that is characterized by severe headache that is usually one sided. This headache is usually accompanied by photophobia and nausea.
• Cerebral Palsy: According to Rosenbaum et al, "Cerebral palsy (CP) describes a group of permanent disorders of the development of movement and posture, causing activity limitation, that are attributed to non-progressive disturbances that occurred in the developing fetal or infant brain. The motor disorders of cerebral palsy are often accompanied by disturbances of sensation, perception, cognition, communication, and behaviour, by secondary musculoskeletal problems
• Dementia
• Spinal Cord Injury: SCI can either be traumatic (e.g. stab injuries, road traffic accidents, etc) or non-traumatic.
• Multiple Sclerosis: MS is an autoimmune, neurological condition affecting more women than men.

Disorders of the PNS

Conditions affecting the PNS are as follows:

• Sciatic Nerve Injury
• Erb's Palsy
• Bell's Palsy
• Diabetic Neuropathy
• Guillain-Barre Syndrome
• Alcoholic Neuropathy
• HIV Neuropathy
• Myopathy
• Myasthenia Gravis
• Cauda Equina Syndrome
• Radiculopathy