Neurology--The Human Nervous System

It is a highly specialized network whose principal components are nerves called neurons. Neurons are interconnected to each other in complex arrangements and have the property of conducting, using electrochemical signals, and a great variety of stimuli within the nervous tissue as well as from and towards most of the other tissues. Thus, neurons coordinate multiple functions in organisms.

This definition is taken from Wikipedia and in my opinion is as clear as mud. Therefore, if you want a more in depth discussion of the nervous system, Wiki is pretty good. However, I will be providing specific neurological information on prevalent disorders of interest to women over 40 in future articles:

Restless Legs Syndrome: a condition that is characterized by an irresistible urge to move your body to stop uncomfortable or odd sensations.

Aspergers Syndrome: a type of autism disorder, characterized by difficulties in social interaction and by restricted, stereotyped interests and activities.

Parkinson’s Disease: a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that often impairs the sufferer’s motor skills and speech, as well as other functions.

Alzheimer’s Disease: the most common cause of dementia, afflicting 24 million people worldwide; a degenerative and terminal disease for which there is currently no know cure.

Neuropathy: usually short for peripheral neuropathy, is a deranged function and structure of peripheral motor, sensory, and autonomic neurons, involving either the entire neuron or selected levels.

Multiple Sclerosis: an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system leading to demyelination. It may cause numerous physical and mental symptoms and often progresses to physical and cognitive disability.

Brain Tumor: any intracranial tumor created by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division, normally either in the brain itself, the crainial nerves, the brain envelopes or spread from cancers primarily located in other organs.

Sleep Disorders: a medical disorder of the sleep patterns of a person or animal. Some are serious enough to interfere with normal physical, mental and emotional functioning.

Epilepsy: a common chronic neurological disorder that is characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures.

Dementia: the progressive decline in cognitive function due to damage or disease in the brain beyond what might be expected from normal aging.

Visit the articles below for a discussion on specific nervous system disorders:

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)—A Patient’s Guide to Understanding
Restless Legs Syndrome is a movement disorder of the central nervous system.

Neuropathy(Peripheral)--Nerve Palsy
Peripheral neuropathy is a term used to describe problems with the nerves of the peripheral nervous system. It is also called nerve palsy.

Alzheimer's Disease--The Facts
On occasion I'm sure all of us ponder Alzheimer's and feel we may already be seeing signs. I've heard jokes about it, being called "old-timers"....

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