Neurologic Pathologies Part 2

Neurologic Pathologies Part 2

Central Nervous System Pathology Chapter 6

The central nervous system is composed by our brain and spinal cord .

 CNS disorders are a broad category of conditions in which the brain does not function as it should .

The brain is the most complex organ in the body and uses 20 percent of the total oxygen we breathe in. The brain consists of an estimated 100 billion neurons, with each one connected to thousands more.

Conditions may be inherited, the result of damage from an infection, a degenerative condition, stroke, a brain tumor, or arise from unknown or multiple factors

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Spina Bifida

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouMi5z1vwbE

Spina Bifida occurs when a developing baby's spinal cord fails to develop or close properly while in the womb.

Symptoms can sometimes be seen on the skin above the spinal defect. They may include a tuft of hair, a birthmark, or protruding spinal cord tissue. Surgery may be needed to close the defect. Other treatments focus on managing complications. Massage may help with function as long as there is feeling, avoid deep pressure on defect area.

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Multiple Choice

Spina Bifida is sometimes called the “snowflake” of birth defects . Why?

• Because of its trademark snowflake shape

• Because no two people with Spina Bifida are exactly alike.

• Because it is white, cool to the touch and crystal like .

Celebrity Spina Bifida

In the early 1950s, most babies born with spina bifida did not live long.

But singer John Mellencamp survived after a pioneering operation. He said he always saw a particular girl at the basketball games who was confined to a wheelchair. He asked someone who it was and they told him that she was one of the others born with spina bifida that the operation was not as successful.

John realized it could have been him in that wheelchair and that is one of the main reasons he did a song for the Special Olympics.

cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy is usually caused by injury to the developing brain before, during, or shortly after childbirth. Damage to different parts of the brain can result in different types of cerebral palsy. Brain damage can cause problems with motor control, coordination, and balance.

How does cerebral palsy affect people?

75% experience chronic pain.

33% can’t walk.

33% have hip displacement

25% can’t talk.

20% are tube-fed.

People with cerebral palsy often have co-occurring conditions

50% have an intellectual impairment.

25% have epilepsy.

25% have a behavior disorder.

20% have a sleep disorder.

10% have impaired vision.

7% have autism.

5% have impaired hearing.

Multiple Choice

Can you get Cerebral Palsy at an age?

• Yes

• No

You can't develop this condition as an adult. Plus, CP is non-progressive. That means it doesn't worsen over a person's lifetime. Although there is no cure, some babies who are diagnosed with mild cerebral palsy appear to outgrow their symptoms.

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Celebrity Cerebral Palsy

Roy Frank “RJ” Mitte is an actor best known for his role as Walter "Flynn" White Jr., a character with cerebral palsy, on the  television series Breaking Bad. Mitte himself was diagnosed with CP at age 3 and used leg braces and crutches for most of his childhood. By his teen years, in part because of regular exercise, he no longer needed them. Mitte is a voice for cerebral palsy awareness, serving as a spokesperson for actors with disabilities for the Screen Actors Guild and an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy.

Attention Deficit–Hyperactivity Disorder

People with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors (may act without thinking about what the result will be), or be overly active. Although ADHD can’t be cured, it can be successfully managed and some symptoms may improve as the child ages.

https://www.netmeds.com/health-library/post/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-causes-types-symptoms-and-treatment

There is no clear cause for ADHD, however, recent studies show that genetics play a crucial role. Some of the causes and risk factors include:

Brain damage ,Exposure to environmental toxins (lead) during pregnancy , Over abuse of alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy, Low birth weight infants .

Some research suggests that a low level of dopamine is also a factor. Dopamine is a chemical in the brain that functions to transmit signals from one nerve to another, It stimulate emotional responses and movements.

Massage therapy has successfully decreased fidgeting and increased serotonin levels in children with ADHD. Also, children who received daily massages (15-20 minutes) all rated the experience as positive and had a reduction in ADHD symptoms.

Multiple Choice

Which gender has 3x the risk of ADHD?

• Boy

• Girl

Celebrities' with Attention Deficit–Hyperactivity Disorder

This Maroon 5 frontman and host of “The Voice” has come a long way to his success. He wrote that as a kid, he struggled with what seemed normal to other kids — sitting still, completing work, focusing.

His parents helped him find treatment, but his problems with attention persisted into adulthood.

“I had trouble sometimes writing songs and recording in the studio. I couldn’t always focus and complete everything I had to. I remember being in the studio once and having 30 ideas in my head, but I couldn’t document any of them,” he wrote.

He went back to the doctor and learned that the ADHD hadn’t gone away as he’d grown up. In fact, he still deals with it daily.

“ADHD isn’t a bad thing, and you shouldn’t feel different from those without ADHD,” he wrote. “Remember that you are not alone. There are others going through the same thing.”

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autism spectrum disorder

The term autism was changed to autism spectrum disorder in 2013 by the American Psychiatric Association. Autism spectrum disorder is a complex developmental condition that involves  persistent challenges in social interaction, speech and nonverbal communication, and restricted/repetitive behaviors. The effects of ASD and the severity of symptoms are different in each person.

ASD is usually first diagnosed in childhood with many of the most obvious signs showing around 2-3 years old, but some children with autism develop normally until toddlerhood when they stop acquiring or lose previously gained skills. According to the CDC, one in 59 children is estimated to have autism.

For some children, autism spectrum disorder can be associated with a genetic disorder, such as Rett syndrome or fragile X syndrome. For other children, genetic changes (mutations) may increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder

20 children with autism, ages 3 to 6 years, and their parents were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Parents assigned to the massage therapy group were trained by a massage therapist to massage their children for 15 minutes every night before bed. Parents in the control group read books to their children before bed.

After one month, an assessment suggested that children in the massage group exhibited more on-task and social related behavior during play observations at school and fewer sleep problems at home.

One theory behind these positive outcomes, is that massage may increase the body’s release of oxytocin (OT), a hormone believed to be an important neurotransmitter within the brain.

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seizure disorder

There are many types of seizures which may look like epileptic seizures but they do not start in the brain.

Some seizures are caused by conditions such as low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) or a change to the way the heart is working. Some very young children have 'febrile convulsions' (jerking movements) when they have a high temperature. These are not the same as epileptic seizures.

Epilepsy is a disorder in which nerve cell activity in the brain is disturbed, causing seizures.

Epilepsy may occur as a result of a genetic disorder or an acquired brain injury, such as a trauma or stroke.

During a seizure, a person experiences abnormal behavior, symptoms, and sensations, sometimes including loss of consciousness. 

Epilepsy affects both males and females of all races, ethnic backgrounds and ages

Seizures are divided into groups depending on where they start in the brain, whether or not a person's awareness is affected and whether or not seizures involve other symptoms, such as movement.

Depending on where they start, seizures are described as being focal onset, generalized onset or unknown onset.

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Multiple Choice

What may be a contraindication for massage and epilepsy?

• Aromatherapy

• Reflexology

• Trigger Point

There's no evidence that the action of massage can trigger a seizure but it is thought that some essential oils may trigger seizures, and so are not recommended for use by people with epilepsy. Essential oils that are not recommended include: Rosemary, fennel, sage, eucalyptus, hyssop, wormwood, camphor and spike lavender

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If your client appears to be having a seizure, follow these basic first aid measures. Every situation will be different.

1. Stay calm. If possible, time the length of the shaking phase of the seizure.

2. Gently place the person on the floor (if possible). If the person is lying on a massage table, allow the person to remain on the table. Some therapists place pillows on the floor around the length of the massage table as a safety measure. Move other objects away to prevent injury.

3. Place a cushion or soft jacket under the person’s head to keep it inclined; this prevents the head from banging the floor during the shaking phase. Roll the person onto his or her side. This will allow saliva to fall out of the mouth instead of blocking the airway, causing the person to choke.

4. Remain with the person until the seizure has ended.

After the seizure has ended, help the person back to normal awareness by asking a few simple questions, such as what his or her name is and the location. Use a calm and reassuring voice. If possible, place the person in a recovery position. The post-seizure period is called the postictal period and can last from several minutes to several hours.

Ensure the client is safe. If he or she has bitten the tongue or cheek, those areas may be sore. If the person experienced incontinence, be sensitive and helpful and provide assistance if needed. The person may feel tired, confused, and have no memory of the event. He or she may also complain of a headache or general muscle soreness.

Celebrities with epilepsy.

Elton John has struggled with epilepsy for years. It is thought that the epilepsy was induced by the star's years of drug use.

Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is an injury to the spinal cord that results in temporary or permanent changes in the spinal cord's normal motor, sensory, or autonomic function. People who sustain a spinal cord injury often have permanent and profound neurologic deficits and accompanying disability.

The C3, C4, and C5 vertebrae form the midsection of the cervical spine, near the base of the neck. A cervical vertebrae injury is the most severe of all spinal cord injuries because the higher up in the spine an injury occurs, the more damage that is caused to the central nervous system. Depending on the severity of the damage to the spinal cord, the injury may be noted as complete or incomplete.

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What Causes Spinal Cord Injuries?

The most common causes of cervical vertebrae injury and spinal cord damage include a spinal fracture from diving accidents and sports, as well as medical complications. Other common causes include:

Tumors ,Trauma ,Birth defects, Infections /diseases , Slip and fall incidents

Multiple Choice

Can You Massage Someone With A spinal Cord Injury?

• Yes, With doctor's okay.

• Never, This can cause additional Injury

Therapeutic massage may be especially helpful for people with spinal cord or brain injury and other types of paralysis for the following reasons: It helps return blood to the heart, partially compensating for lack of movement, decreased activity, and decreased muscle contractions that would normally do this task.

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brain and spial cord tumors

Spinal tumors can affect the brain in several ways. Growth in the spinal canal can block the flow of the spinal fluid . This can raise the pressure inside the skull harming the brain. A tumor in the spinal canal can also travel to the brain forming growths in the brain. Tumors in the brain can move or press on sensitive tissue. They can block the flow of blood and other fluids, which can cause pain and inflammation. Tumors can also interfere with the nerve signaling to and from the brain. The signs and symptoms will differ depending on which part of the brain harbors the tumor. Some tumors, however, may cause no symptoms.

The 5-year survival rate for people with a cancerous brain or CNS tumor is 36%. The 10-year survival rate is about 31%. If you are diagnosed, don't fear—more than 700,000 Americans are currently living with a brain tumor, a diagnosis that, in most cases, is not considered a death sentence.

Celebrity Tumor -In 2002, Mark Ruffalo was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, a type of brain tumor, and had surgery; the tumor was benign, but resulted in a period of partial facial paralysis. He fully recovered from the paralysis and returned to his movie career.

Anxiety and Mood Disorders

Anxiety can lead to the development of FEELINGS like hopelessness, fear and several other emotions. Mood disorders, on the other hand, refer to the CONDITIONS like major depression, mania, Seasonal Affective Disorder

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States afflicting 40 million adults (approximately 12% of the population). Anxiety disorders are also linked to depression related conditions .

The Mayo Clinic reports a 60-minute massage can lower cortisol, the stress hormone, by up to 30 percent after just one session. A study published in the journal Depression and Anxiety found participants who received regular massage therapy for 12 weeks had a 50 percent reduction in anxiety symptoms.

Warm touch signals safety and trust, Touch calms cardiovascular stress. It activates the body's vagus nerve, which is intimately involved with our compassionate response, and a simple touch can trigger release of oxytocin, “the love hormone or bonding hormone.” his stimulates the release of other feel-good hormones, such as dopamine and serotonin, while reducing stress hormones, such as cortisol and norepinephrine

Touch is essential for brain health and growth in infancy and adulthood.

Harry Harlow and the wire mother experiment

During the first half of the 20th century, many psychologists believed that showing affection towards children was merely a sentimental gesture that served no real purpose. According to many thinkers of the day, affection would only spread diseases and lead to adult psychological problems.

Harlow's research revealed the importance of a caregiver's love and touch for healthy childhood development. In a series of controversial experiments conducted during the 1960s, Harlow demonstrated the powerful effects of love and touch in particular, the absence of it

 Monkeys were given a choice between two different "mothers." One was made of soft terrycloth but provided no food. The other was made of wire but provided nourishment from an attached baby bottle.

The experiment demonstrated that the baby monkeys spent significantly more time with their cloth mother than with their wire mother.

In other words, the infant monkeys went to the wire mother only for food but preferred to spend their time with the soft, comforting cloth mother when they were not eating.

Harlow concluded that affection and touch was the primary force behind the need for closeness.

Later research demonstrated that young monkeys would also turn to their cloth surrogate mother for comfort and security. Monkeys who were with their cloth mother would use her as a secure base to explore the room. When the surrogate mothers were removed from the room, the effects were dramatic. The young monkeys no longer had their secure base for exploration and would often freeze up, crouch, rock, scream, and cry.

Multiple Choice

When left with only the cage food mother how do you think the monkeys responded?

• Behaviors of Anxiety ,Depression & Aggression

• They slowly learned to accept the cage mother and bonded

Class Discussion

Humans thrive off of positive physical touch and that touch is a crucial factor in our physiological and psychological well-being. From the time of our birth, touch plays a fundamental role in how we communicate with one another. Whether it be a loving hug, a high-five or a comforting pat on the back. During the recent COVID shut downs ,when we didn't have contact with loved ones, What effects did it have on you?