Central Nervous System Disorders

Some of the central nervous system disorders are as follows:

Transverse Myelitis
It is an inflammatory attack in the spinal cord with no brain or optic nerve involvement. It is mainly a
monophasic condition where the attack occurs only once. In rare cases, the patient may suffer from
more than one inflammatory attack in their spinal cord, this condition is called Recurrent TM. Some
patients may also suffer from an inflammatory attack in the spinal cord along with an underlying
rheumatic disorder like Lupus or Sjogren’s syndrome. Since the underlying cause is unknown, it is also
referred to as Idiopathic Transverse Myelitis. TM symptoms develop quickly within a few hours to a
few weeks. The spinal cord is responsible for carrying motor nerve fibers to the limbs, trunk and
sensory fibers from the body back to the brain. Inflammation within the spinal cord disrupts these
pathways and causes symptoms like limb weakness, sensory disturbance, bowel and bladder
malfunction, back pain and radicular pain.

Neuromyelitis Optica or Devic’s Disease

It involves inflammatory attacks in the spinal cord and optic nerve. A person suffering from
neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is at a higher risk for multiple attacks of spinal cord inflammation or optic
neuritis, or both. The main symptoms of NMO are loss of vision and spinal cord dysfunction. The
visual impairment is manifested by visual field defects, loss of color vision or decreased visual activity,
etc. The spinal cord dysfunction causes muscle weakness, reduced sensation, loss of bladder and bowel
control. Patients may also suffer from an acute and severe spastic weakness of the legs (paraparesis) or
all four limbs (tetraparesis).

Multiple Sclerosis
It involves an inflammatory attack that may occur anywhere within the central nervous system i.e.,
brain, spinal cord or optic nerves. The disease usually occurs in young adults, and is more common in
females. Most of the patients have brain lesions during the onset of the disease. A person suffering from
multiple sclerosis can be observed with symptoms like muscle spasms, dysarthia, lack of coordination
and balance (ataxia), hypoesthesia and paraesthesia, visual problems and loss of bladder and bowel
control. It's relapses are quite unpredictable and happen without any warning or obvious inciting
factors.

Alzheimer's Disease
It is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease that occurs in the brain and is a common form of
dementia. It reduces the generation of certain brain chemicals which are essential for communication
between the nerve cells like norepinephrine, soamtostatin, acetylcholine and serotonin. The causes for
the disease are not completely known but abnormal protein deposits in the brain, environmental or
genetic factors are some suspected causes. Alzheimer's disease leads to impaired memory or judgment,
language deterioration, emotional apathy and impaired visiospatial skills.