CASE STUDIES IN NEUROLOGY

 

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Case Study in Neurology

By

[Marilyn Tangonan]

SC235 General Biology I – Human Perspectives

Professor

[Dr. Margaret Kincaid]

February 28, 2019

Case Study 1

The sensory receptor neurons are responsible for prompting a body response due to external conditions such as pain, pressure, touch or light (Farina et al., 2018). The receptor is an afferent neuron as it carries information in the form of impulses from the sensory stimuli towards the brain and the central nervous system. The pain impulse from the receptor neurons in Amy’s fingers is transmitted through neurotransmitters to the brain, which is a part of the central nervous system (CNS). Immediately, the brain sends impulses via the efferent neurons to the peripheral nervous system (PNS) prompting the arm muscles to move her finger away from the stove. This form of movement can be classified as involuntary as it happens within a fraction of a second .

The afferent neurons transmit signals to CNS from the thermal stimuli, while the efferent and motor pathways carry the impulses away from the system. The mobility of the human body primarily depends on this transport system as it allows sending of information to and from the CNS as a way of coordinating and regulating all the processes and communication within the body. Without this system, several problems will occur leading to a gradual loss of body function resulting in life-threatening diseases (Farina et al., 2018).

Case Study 2

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder, and when a person between 21-50 years old, like Glen, in this case, gets diagnosed, it is referred to as early-onset Parkinson’s disease. The disorder affects nerve cells that are located deep in the brain known as the substantia nigra and basal ganglia. These cells are responsible for producing dopamine, and the presence of the disease affects this process. Dopamine is a chemical produced by the neurons to act as a neurotransmitter in the brain. Dopamine transmits impulses from one neuron to another, to the brain, spinal cord then finally to the muscle (Good, 2016). Under- or over-stimulation of the basal ganglia cause underproduction of dopamine leading to a shutdown of motion and rigidity (Brooks, 2010).

The cause of this disease is not known, but a familial history of the disorder predisposes a family member to develop it. Such is because Parkinson’s disease has appeared across generation in some families indicating that some forms of the condition can be genetic or hereditary (Jellinger, 2011). Since Glen has been found to carry an autosomal dominant mutation in the SNCA gene that is associated with the disease, I would advise the children to go for genetic testing. As much as genetic testing should be a personal decision, the results may be necessary for family planning of some individuals and also, they can help further Parkinson’s research by allowing scientists to understand the disorder better. A synapse is comprised of a postsynaptic membrane that has a segment of the cell body, a presynaptic layer at the end of an axon and a synaptic cleft between the two membranes. The neurologist prescribed the dopamine agonist to treat the motor fluctuation in the form of shaking. Also, the agonists are effectively used to prevent the side effects of other types of therapy .

Case Study 3

According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (2015), Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disorder associated with only the central nervous system (CNS). The spinal cord, brain, and optic nerves are the main components that make up the CNS, and these organs are insulated by a fatty substance called myelin. Destroying the myelin that protects axons of a neuron alters or stops the flow of messages within the CNS. The myelin increases the speed that action potential traveling down the neuron an in the case of MS where the myelin is detached from the axon, and it would require the axon to increase by a hundred in size to transmit nerve impulses at an equal speed.

The cause of the disease remains unknown as it is considered an autoimmune disease whereby the body’s immune system attacks the tissues. The immune system, in the case of multiple sclerosis, destroys the myelin layers which protects and coats the spinal cord and the brains’ nerve fibers. Scientists have however hypothesized some environmental and genetic factors that may increase one’s risk of developing MS . Race is one of them whereby the white populations especially the Northern European individuals are at high risk while Africans, Asians, and the Hispanic communities have the lowest chance. Age is also a factor, and as much as the disease can occur at any age, it commonly affects individuals between the age of fifteen to sixty. The familial history of MS is also an indication of a high risk of developing the disorder. In terms of sex , women are two times more likely to develop MS, and those with autoimmune diseases such as type one diabetes are even at a higher risk. Climate and smoking are the two environmental factors believed to cause MS in that most of the people affected to reside in the northern United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand (Multiple Sclerosis International Federation, 2013).

References

Brooks, D. J. (2010). Imaging dopamine transporters in Parkinson’s disease. Biomarkers in Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1109/BHI.2014.6864304

Farina, P., Scotté, F., Villa, C., Baussart, B., & Di Stefano, A. L. (2018). Central nervous system. In Side Effects of Medical Cancer Therapy: Prevention and Treatment: Second Edition (pp. 213–247). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70253-7_7

Good, K. P. (2016). Diagnosing Parkinson’s disease before the onset of motor symptoms. Retrieved from https://researchfeatures.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Dr-Kimberley-P-Good-Dalhousie-University-Neuroscience.pdf

Jellinger, K. a. (2011). Parkinsons Disease Oxford Neurology Library. European Journal of Neurology, 18(2), e30–e30. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-1331.2010.03244.x

Multiple Sclerosis International Federation. (2013). Epidemiology of MS. Atlas of MS 2013. Multiple Sclerosis International Federation, London. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107415324.004

Society, N. M. S. (2015). What causes MS ? How is MS detected ? Diagnosis THE BASIC FACTS OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, 1, 6.

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