BIPOLOAR DISORDER AND TREATMENT

INTRODUCTION TO NEUROLOGICAL DISORDER A neurological disorder is a disorder of the body’s nervous system. Structural, biochemical or electrical abnormalities in the brain or spinal cord, or in the nerves leading to or from them, can result in symptoms such as paralysis, muscle weakness, poor coordination, and loss of sensation, seizures, confusion, pain and altered levels of consciousness. There are many recognized neurological disorders. Some relatively common, but many rare. They may be revealed by neurological examination and studied and treated within the specialties of neurology and clinical neuropsychology, Interventions include preventative measures, lifestyle changes, physiotherapy or other therapy neuro rehabilitation, pain management, pain management, medication, or operations performed by neurosurgeons. TYPES OF EPILEPSY:-  ABSENCE EPILEPSY:-             People with absence epilepsy have repeated absence seizures. Absence epilepsy tends to run in families. The seizures frequently begin in childhood or adolescent. If the seizures begin in childhood, they usually stop at puberty.                   Although the seizures don’t have a lasting effect on intelligence or other brain functions, children with absence epilepsy frequently have so many seizures that it interferes with school and other normal activities. TEMPORAL LOBE EPILEPSY:-                   TLE is the most frequent cause of partial seizures and aura. The temporal loge is located close to the ear. It is the part of the brain where smell is processed and where the choice is made to express a thought or remain silent.                   TLE often begins in childhood repeated TLE seizures can damage the hippocampus, a part of the brain that is important for memory and learning. Although the damage progressive very slowly. It is important to treat TLE as early as possible FRONTAL LOBE EPILEPSY:-                    The frontal lobe of the brain lies behind the forehead. They are the largest of the five lobes and are thought to be the centers that control personality and higher thought processes. Including languages and speech.                    Frontal lobe epilepsy causes a cluster of short seizures that start and stop suddenly. The symptoms depend upon the part of the fronted lobe affected. OCCIPITAL LOBE EPILEPSY:-                     The occipital lobe lies at the back of the skull occipital lobe epilepsy is like fronted and temporal lobe epilepsies, except that the seizures usually begin with usual hallucinations, rapid blinding, and other symptoms related to the eyes. PARIETAL LOBE EPILEPSY:-                      The parietal lobe lies between the frontal and temporal lobes. Parietal lobe epilepsy is similar to other types in part because parietal lobe seizures tend to spread to other areas of the brain. CAUSES OF EPILEPSY:- BRAIN CHEMISTRY:-                      Epilepsy may develop because of an imbalance in those chemicals in the brain that help the nerve cells in the brain transmit electrical impulses. These chemicals are called neuron transmitters.                      Researchers think that some people who have epilepsy have too much of a neuron transmitter that increases impulse transmission and other have too little of neuron transmitters that reduce transmission.                      Epilepsy may also cause by changes in brain cells called glia. Glias regulate concentrations of chemicals in the brain that can change the way neurons signal. HEREDITARY CAUSES                    Many types of epilepsy tend to run in families, and some have been traced to an abnormality in a specific gene. These genetic abnormalities can caused subtle changes in the way the body processes calcium, sodium and other body chemicals.                    People who have progressive myoclonus epilepsy are missing a gene that helps break down protein. Those with a severe form of epilepsy called lafora’s disease are missing a gene that helps break down protein. Those with a severe form of epilepsy called lafora’s disease are missing a gene that helps break down carbohydrates.                  Hereditary factors are not always direct cause of epilepsy but may influence the disease indirectly. Genes can affect the way people process drugs or can cause areas of malformed neurons in the brain. OTHER DISORDER                  Epilepsy can be triggered by brain damage. Epilepsy can sometimes be stopped by treating these underlying disorders. In other causes, epileptic seizures will continue after the underlying causes are treated disorder. In other cases, epileptic seizures will continue after the underlying cause is treated. ·        Brain tumors, alcoholism, and Alzheimer’s disease can cause. Epilepsy because they alter the normal working of the brain. ·        Stroke, heart attacks and others conditions that affect the blood supply to the brain (cerebrovascular diseases) can causes epilepsy by depriving the brain of oxygen. About a third of all new cases of epilepsy that develop in older people are caused by cerebrovascular diseases. ·        Infection diseases such as meningitis, viral encephalitis, and AIDS can cause epilepsy. ·        Cerebral palsy, autism and a number of other developmental and metabolic disorders can cause epilepsy. HEAD INJURY:-                      Head injury can cause seizures; if the head injury is severe the seizures may not begin until years later. If the injury is mild the risk is slight. PARANTAL INJURY:-                     In a fetus the developing brain is susceptible to prenatal injuries that may occur if the pregnant mothers has an infection, doesn’t eat properly, smoke or abuses drugs or alcohol. These conditions called cerebral palsy.                    About 20% of seizures in children are caused by cerebral palsy or other nervous system diseases. Sometimes epilepsy is linked to areas in the brain where neurons may not have formed properly during prenatal development. ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSES Epilepsy can be caused by ·        Environmental and occupational exposure to lead carbon monoxide, and certain chemicals ·        Use of street drugs and alcohol ·        Lack of sleep, stress, or hormonal changes ·        Withdrawal from certain antidepressant and anti – anxiety drug EPILEPSY – SYMPTOMS:-              Seizures are the only visible symptom of epilepsy there are different kinds of seizures and symptoms of each type can affect people differently. Seizures typically last from a few seconds to a few minutes. You may remain alert during the seizure or lose consciousness. You may not remember what happened during the seizure or may not even realize you had a seizure.              Seizures that make you fall to the ground or make the muscles stiffen or jerk out of control are easy to recognize. But many seizures do not involve these reactions and may be harder to notice. Some seizures make you stare into spark for a few seconds. Others may consist only for a few twitches a turn of head, or a strange smell or visual disturbance that only you sense.               Epileptic seizures often happen without warning, although some people may have an aura at the beginning of a seizure. A seizure ends when the abnormal electrical activity in the brain stops activity begins to retur4n to normal. Seizures may be either partial or generalized. TREATMENT FOR EPILEPSY:-             Treatment for epilepsy will not normally begin unless you have a second seizure.              This is because it is quite common for a person to have a one – 0ff seizure and nerve have a second one.               However, occasionally someone may have a tests carried out after one seizure such as an EGG test. Once the doctors have carried out their tests and asked for any witness reports, they will then decide whether they feel the person does have epilepsy and is so will need to start treatment. ANTI – EPILEPTIC DRUGS (AED’S)                The majority of people with epilepsy can be successfully treated with medicines known as anti – epileptic drugs (AED’S) AEDs do not cure epilepsy. But they do prevent seizures from occurring.              There are many different AEDs but they all tend to work by either. Altering the electric transmission in your brain in a way that reduces the chance of a seizure, or Altering the chemicals in your brain in a way that reduces the chance of a seizure SIDE EFFECTS ARE COMMON WHEN STARTING TREATMENT WITH AEDs ·        Nausea ·        Abdominal pain ·        Drowsiness ·        Dizziness ·        Irritability, and ·        Mood Changes                 For some people, the side effects will pass within a few days, whereas for others, the effects may persist for many months.                Some side effects, which produce symptoms that are similar to being drunk, occur when the dose of AEDs you are taking is too high. They include. ·        Unsteadiness ·        Poor Concentration ·        Drowsiness ·        Vomiting, and ·        Double vision