Epilepsy And Its Effects On The Central Nervous System

Hannah Rackley Biology A Warren September 26, 2016 Epilepsy Epilepsy refers to a seizure disorder where the central nervous system does not function properly. It is a neurological disorder. It is when nerve cell activity in the brain is disturbed, causing seizures. There is no cure for epilepsy, but there are treatments to help limit the number of seizures. Most people that have epilepsy live normal lives with some or no restrictions. Most people outgrow their seizures once they get to adulthood. Seventy percent of people with epilepsy are diagnosed before the age of twenty and thirty percent develop a seizure disorder after the age of twenty. Understanding epilepsy’s origin, symptoms, diagnosis process, treatment options, and effects on daily life will eventually lead to a cure. The first book written about epilepsy was by the Greek physician, Hippocrates. It was written around 400B.C. and was titled On the Sacred Disease. Hippocrates’ book is believed to be the first record of a person suffering from epilepsy. On the Sacred Disease laid the foundation for the education of epilepsy. Although it included some misleading myths, it also contained many truths about the disease. Epilepsy was called the sacred disease because people believed that the seizures were administrated by demonic spirits. People believed the seizures were sent by the gods to punish someone who had done wrong. Around 1494 A.D. Heinrich Kramer, a German Catholic clergyman, wrote Malleus Maleficarum. ItShow MoreRelatedNervous Systems And The Nervous System1386 Words   |  6 Pages The nervous system is a system of nerve cells and fibres that transmit electrical impulses throughout the whole body. The nervous system is made up of two systems; the central nervous system or CNS and the peripheral nervous system or PNS. The CNS is made up of the brain and the spinal cord (see Figure 1.0 below), these are protected by bone and cushioned by cerebrospinal fluid, and the PNS is the nervous around the rest of the body. The PNS consists of motor neurons, sensory neurons, somatic nervousRead MorePhenobarbital Essay976 Words   |  4 PagesDirksen, Heitkemper, Butcher, Camera, 20011). Phenobarbital is classified as an anticonvulsant. This classification of drugs is used to â€Å"decrease the incidence and severity of seizures† (Deglin et al, 2011). The drug acts by depressing the central nervous system and preventing it from reaching a level where seizures would occur. This drug can be given several different ways. It can be given by mouth, intramuscular, subcutaneously, and as an IV medication. After it is absorbed into the body it is metabolizedRead MoreAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Western Medicine Essay1140 Words   |  5 Pagesadverse effects (Adams Urban, 2016). Complementary and Alternative Medicine The advantage of CAM therapy is that it is a more natural way of helping manage health conditions. The disadvantage is that the CAM therapies mentioned do not actually heal the pathological problem that persists in the patient with epilepsy. It may help with restoring a deficiency, but it will not stop the excessive firing of neurons. Biblical Worldview One advantage of applying a Biblical Worldview to epilepsy is acknowledgingRead MoreMelatonin Agonists897 Words   |  4 Pagessignificant difference that was statistically significant (p0.05). Therefore, our hypothesis is proven correct that combining both melatonin and GABA agonists can more effectively decrease the threshold in which seizures occur. A proposed reason for the effect of melatonin agonists in lessening the threshold for seizures is that they regulate an individual’s circadian rhythm. In a previous study, it was shown that rats that had a disrupted circadian rhythm were more prone to seizures than rats with a regulatedRead MoreEssay about Narcotics549 Words   |  3 Pages Narcotics: Narcotics decrease the sensitivity to the sensory stimuli because it has a depressant effect on the central nervous system. Opium, morphine, codeine, heroin, meperidine, and methadone are types of narcotics. Natural and synthetic opiates are considered medically valuable because they are effective pain relievers. A reduction of physical activity and drowsiness are the effects of opiates. Once consuming opiate you might feel such uncomfortable feelings as nausea, vomiting and itching.Read MoreNervous Systems : The Nervous System1971 Words   |  8 PagesABOUT THE NERVOUS SYSTEM The nervous system is a complex bodily system responsible for controlling and coordinating numerous functions in the body. Nerves enable certain internal functions involuntarily in the body such as regulation of heart beat, digestive system break down of a meal and the brain interpreting visual signals from the eyes. There are different branches of the nervous system with different functions of each branch. The nervous system coordinates the activities of the body and enablesRead MoreEpilepsy Is A Central Nervous System Disorder ( Cns )1112 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Epilepsy is a central nervous system disorder(CNS) causing recurrent seizures and can only be defined when there is at least one epileptic seizure.[1][2] John Hughlings Jackson, a notable British neurologist proposed that epilepsy is an occasional, an excessive and a disorderly discharge of nervous tissue. About 65 million people(1% of the human population) in the world have epilepsy and the cases account for 80% in developing countries. [3][4] In this essay, the normal physiologyRead MoreThe Usefulness Of Viral Vectors1223 Words   |  5 Pagesmutations of genes encoding these channels are responsible for genetic epilepsy syndromes with varying degrees of severity1. Dravet syndrome, or severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy (SMEI), is a complex and severe form of childhood epilepsy, caused by a nonsense mutation in the sodium voltage-gated channel alpha subunit 1 (SCN1a) gene. Severe loss of function mutation in Nav1.1 causes SMEI, which involves intractable epilepsy, ataxia, and c ognitive impairment 1. It is important to study this diseaseRead MoreThe Chemical Structure Of Pregabalin1996 Words   |  8 Pagesneurotransmitter found in the central nervous system and functions by binding to ÃŽ ±2ÃŽ ´ voltage-gated calcium ion channel in presynaptic, inhibiting the release of neurotransmitters, most notably GABA. By decreasing the amount of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA in synaptic terminals, epileptic seizures can be controlled and prevented.1 Each drug displays its own properties when introduced to the body and all traits must be evaluated to observe effectiveness and side effects that may occur. PregabalinRead MoreDiagnosis And Management Of Patients Suffering From Neurological Disease3148 Words   |  13 Pagesexperiment investigates the mechanisms behind two pathologies pertaining to channelopathies and demyelination: epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. This is done using a patch clamp technique, a laboratory technique in electrophysiology that allows the study of single or multiple ion channels in cells. Conditions were simulated using computer software to test the hypothesized mechanism behind epilepsy with understanding that it was due to an increase in the time constant, which would enable frequent neuron