Neurological Disorders - General Causes, Symptoms, Diagnostic Studies, and Pattern of Treatment

What Are Neurological Disorders?

Broadly speaking, neurological disorders include all the illnesses affecting the brain, spinal cord, and nerves in the body. Together these parts form the nervous system and control all the body functions in an individual. The nervous system is what connects us to the rest of the world by enabling perceptions and generating appropriate reactions to everything around us. Hence, when something goes wrong with any component of the nervous system, one suffers physical or mental illnesses.

What Are the General Causes of Neurological Disorders?

Any change or disturbance in the making or normal functioning of the nerve cells can cause neurological disorders. The brain, spinal cord, and nerves are connected to each other in a very complex network and have layers of covering to protect them. Usually, the basic cause of any neurological disease is a structural, electrical, or biochemical abnormality. One is susceptible to neurological disorders from:

• Infections Involving the Brain and Spinal Cord - Like meningitis or encephalitis.

• Genetically Inherited Abnormalities - Such as muscular dystrophy or Huntington's disease.

• Physical Injuries to the Nervous System - Such as skull fractures, spinal cord injuries, bleeding inside the brain (hemorrhage), or inflammatory swelling of the brain.

• Structural Abnormalities From Birth - Like spina bifida (spinal cord abnormality).

• Acquired From Unhealthy Lifestyles - From alcohol or substance abuse.

• Environmental Influences - From pollution, heavy metal toxicity, and more.

• Abnormal Growths Inside the Brain - Tumors of benign or malignant type.

• Lack of Blood Supply, Oxygen, or Adequate Nutrients to Brain Cells - Like stroke and aneurysm (ballooning up of blood vessels) rupture.

What Are the General Symptoms of Neurologic Disorders?

1. Seizure attacks.

2. Complete or partial loss of sensation.

3. Muscle weakness.

4. Partial or complete paralysis.

5. Pain and other sensations such as tingling, burning, or prickling on various body parts.

6. Loss or decline in concentration, understanding, reasoning, planning, and decision-making abilities (cognition).

7. Problems with time-place-person awareness (orientation).

8. Difficulty performing everyday activities, reading, writing, etc.

9. Difficulties in moving around and balancing oneself.

10. Issues with speech, eyesight, and other senses.

11. Emotional symptoms such as; mental agitation, depression, mood swings, and delusions.

Which Are the Neurological Disorders of Common Occurrence?

There are numerous conditions affecting the nervous system of an individual with mild to severe implications. Let us look at the common ones:

1. Headaches - This may be from a migraine or cluster headaches. It can be something more serious like meningitis or bleeding inside the brain too.

2. Seizures and Epilepsy - Featuring sudden uncontrolled changes in the body, behavior, and consciousness due to abnormal electrical activity of the brain. The symptoms may be very mild or as severe as violent jerking and loss of consciousness.

3. Stroke - It is a life-threatening situation where blood flow to the brain is blocked due to some cause, and the brain cells die from lack of oxygen. It is a medical emergency that requires urgent care.

4. Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia - These are slowly progressing neurological disorders due to the gradual degeneration of nerves. One may develop cognitive decline, memory loss, and functional disabilities.

5. Parkinson’s Disease - Another progressive neurological disorder that affects the level of coordination, mobility, and cognition of the individual.

How Are Neurological Disorders Diagnosed in General?

Diagnosing a neurological disorder requires a thorough evaluation of the medical history, family background, and lifestyle pattern of the affected individual. The doctor needs to understand the nature of symptoms to correctly interpret the area of the brain or spinal cord involved. Several tests help diagnose a neurological disorder, such as:

• Comprehensive Neuro Exam - A neuro exam Involves various activities to measure one’s level of function, orientation, cognition, speech and language skills, reflexes, sensory awareness, muscle tone, strength, gross and fine motor skills of muscle groups, cranial nerve (twelve pairs of nerves emerging from the brain) function, balance, and coordination. Each test is indicative of the functional performance of different parts of the brain.

• Electroencephalography (EEG) Procedure - It is used to study the pattern of the electrical signals produced from different parts of the brain. It is mainly used in individuals who have seizure attacks. By studying the electrical pattern, the doctor can identify which is the malfunctioning area of the brain and plan the treatment.

• Electromyography (EMG) Procedure - Helps measure the strength and frequency of electrical signals traveling from a nerve to the muscle to produce a suitable response from the muscle.

• Nerve Conduction Studies and Evoked Potentials (EP) - Help evaluate the speed at which the nerves pass on the electrical signals through them.

• Imaging Studies - Such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), help visualize the brain from different aspects and diagnose the underlying cause of the symptoms. One can identify tumors, structural abnormalities, fractures, and more.

• Lumbar Puncture (Spinal Tapping) Procedure - Lumbar puncture involves inserting a needle into the lower back region of the spinal column to extract a sample of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that cushions and protects the brain and spinal cord. One can examine this fluid to identify infection, bleeding, or tumors involving the brain and spinal cord.

• Sleep Studies - Help study the abnormal brain activity of the affected individual during a sleep cycle.

What Are the Treatments Opted for Neurological Disorders?

For life-threatening situations like a stroke, hydrocephalus, traumatic head injury, status epilepticus (seizure lasting more than five minutes), or an aneurysm rupture, the first line of treatment is stabilizing the patient and doing the needful to prevent further damage to the brain. Additionally, one may opt for the following:

1. Surgery is a treatment of choice for certain tumors, traumatic injuries, bleeding control, and blood clot removal from inside the brain.

2. Infections like meningitis and encephalitis are treated by antibiotics, antiviral, antifungal, or antiprotozoal drugs. Steroids may be used to suppress the progressing inflammation.

3. Anticonvulsants and antihistamines are used to treat epilepsy, migraines, and cluster headaches. Pain-relieving medications help with the symptoms associated with many neurologic disorders.

4. Psychiatric medications are prescribed to treat anxiety, agitation, depression, delusion, and mental instabilities.

5. For neurological disorders with lasting functional disabilities, one may require physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language training, and rehabilitation.

6. Doctors may recommend lifestyle alteration, special diet plans, and regular follow up as well.

Conclusion:

A neurological disorder can cause a severe life-threatening condition like stroke, meningitis, or hydrocephalus (enlarged brain with fluid collection). Or it can result in relatively harmless but debilitating conditions like migraine, cluster headaches, or epilepsy. Yet another group of neurological disorders starts with mild symptoms and progresses to cause permanent disabilities in an individual. However, with timely treatment, most of these disorders show improvement in symptoms and progress. Seeking expert help in the early stages of the disease increases the chances of recovery and yields better outcomes.