Many neurologists compare the nervous system to the wires that run through household walls, your body being the house. For homeowners, it’s important to understand the basics of electricity, like how your light switch works. And even though the nervous system is incredibly complex, it’s vital to know the basics of your internal wires.
The Basics
Made up of the brain, spinal cord, sensory organs and all nerves, the nervous system collects, processes and responds to sensory input from the body and external environment through transmitted signals.
Many diseases and conditions affect the nervous system, some common ones include brain injuries, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, epilepsy, and stroke. Many of these afflictions do not have a known cause, but researchers are working daily to determine if it’s heredity, a gene mutation or something else.
Common Conditions or Diseases
- Multiple Sclerosis
According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, MS is an abnormal response of the immune system that affects the central nervous system. The condition is not an inherited disease, but the risk of developing MS increases when first relatives have the disease. Unfortunately, the cause is not known. Some doctors believe low vitamin D, smoking, obesity or certain infectious diseases can lead to MS. To learn more about MS, visit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society website.
- Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s is a progressive brain disease that causes nerve cell connections to be lost and destroyed. Early-onset Alzheimer’s occurs between ages 30 to mid-60 and is an inherited disease in which certain genes are mutated through other gene-related theories do exist. As for late-onset Alzheimer’s, those who have symptoms in their mid-30s and later, the cause is not completely understood. Neurologists believe genetics, environmental and lifestyles factors may increase the chance of developing the disease. Learn more at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, National Institute on Aging webpage.
- Parkinson’s Disease
Another neurodegenerative disorder that affects the nervous system, Parkinson’s disease, causes tremors, shaking, balance difficulties, stiffness and slow movement. The cause of this disease is not fully understood; there have been cases in which patients had a certain genetic mutation and others where it was inherited. However, people who are diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease have typically inherited the condition through a parent. To learn more, visit the Parkinson’s Foundation.
- Epilepsy
The Epilepsy Society has a clear definition of this condition: “Epilepsy is not just one condition, but a group of many different 'epilepsies' with one thing in common: a tendency to have seizures that start in the brain.” Epilepsy usually is diagnosed after a person has multiple seizures, though not all seizures are due to epilepsy. Anyone can develop this condition at any point, but the chances of inheriting epilepsy are low – around 3 percent. To learn more, visit the Epilepsy Society’s What is Epilepsy webpage.
There are more than 100 trillion neural connections in the average human brain – that’s a lot considering there are only about 250 billion stars in the Milky Way. The neurological signals travel along the spinal cord at approximately 268 miles per hour, the fastest transmission in the human body.
Keeping a Healthy Mind
Mark Bolster 412.647.5061
Dr. Deepak Gulati
We all know that addressing, strengthening and understanding mental health is important, but some may not realize how it can drastically affect the nervous system.
“Whenever people have mental health disorders like anxiety and depression, it can cause some changes in the brain in terms of stress hormones, in terms of neurotransmitters. Both changes can lead to changes in the brain, which can affect emotional and personality changes,” says Dr. Deepak Gulati, a neurologist and stroke expert at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Stress hormones, called cortisol, are released to give your body a natural energy boost. According to Gulati, when someone is overexposed to cortisol, it can lead to symptoms including mental health irregularities, weight gain and, ultimately, stroke.
In the modern world, stress is inevitable – but manageable. Exercising at a moderate-intensity level for at least 150 minutes a week can help pump more oxygen to the brain, releasing natural feel-good hormones like endorphins. In turn, this can help maintain stress levels and may prevent mental health concerns like depression.
Living with Nerve Damage
Diseases or brain damage can cause nerve damage, which ranges from temporary or permanent paralysis to having little to no feeling in isolated areas. Once the nerves are destroyed, it is impossible to restore the cells – but humans have found a short cut.
Neuroplasticity is the process of eliminating dead neural connections and strengthening the necessary ones to complete tasks – literally rewiring the brain. It typically occurs when patients experience a brain injury, and usually requires years of repetitive mental and/or physical exercises to treat or cure.
According to a study published in the Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, in 2015, for the first time in history, a man walked after five years of paraplegia – an electroencephalogram (EEG - based system) sent electrical signals from his brain to the electrodes placed around his knees. Since then, numerous studies have been conducted that involve people receiving spinal implants to restore movement.
The Silent Killer
Dr. Archana Hinduja
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that “stroke is the leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the U.S.” And, according to Gulati, you lose 2 million neurons per minute during a stroke.
Thankfully, at the Wexner Medical Center neurologists are incorporating the latest advancements to help stroke patients.
Within the last year, OSU began using the endovascular intervention method, an alternative to an IV-based clot-busting drug which can only be used within four and a half hours of stroke symptoms. The new method is capable of helping stroke patients up to 24 hours, giving more time to properly diagnose and decrease long-term neurological damage.
“The interventionist uses a catheter through an artery in the groin and reaches the vessels in the brain. They remove the clot from arteries that have blocked the blood supply to the brain. This can improve weakness from stroke if done in a timely fashion in a selected group of patients,” says Dr. Archana Hinduja, a neurologist at the Wexner Medical Center.
OSU is also the founder of the TeleStroke Network, which electronically connects OSU stroke experts to 25-plus underprivileged hospitals in Ohio, assisting them in diagnosis, treatment, interpreting test results and more.
“It adds a lot of value and is improving the health of people,” Gulati says.
Lydia Freudenberg is the brand loyalty specialist. Feedback welcome at lfreudenberg@cityscenemediagroup.com.
