Nervous system

Overview Dystonia is a neurological movement disorder in which a person experiences uncontrollable muscle spasms that can occasionally be quite painful. Caused by incorrect brain signals, these spasms pull on muscles in such a way that the body starts to move in twisting repetitive movements or causes it to assume abnormal postures. The condition may affect a single area of the body, or it could cause issues in several places at once. In some cases, dystonia can impact the entire body. It is…

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the major causes for dementia, the majority of the people affected by the age. It has been estimated that by 2050, 88 million of the world population will have the Alzheimer’s disease. There are different types of Alzheimer’s disease; for instances, autosomal dominant and sporadic. However, there has not been any permanent treatment identified for this disease. There are several hypotheses stated for the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease. Major hypothesis is…

In this investigation, electrolyte content will be measured and compared to the sugar content to give a measurement of how drinks compare in terms of benefit during exercise. The independent variable will be the drink being tested, and the dependent variable will be the electrolyte and sugar content of that drink. Electrolytes are positively or negatively charged ions that are essential for survival. Positively charged electrolytes move towards a cathode, while negatively charged electrolytes…

My Hemispheres and Me Our brain’s two hemispheres look alike, but they have different function. This specialization of the right and left hemisphere is called lateralization. In the past scientists learned about this functional specialization of our brain by observing people with brain damage or injury and examining they brains after death. Today scientist have other methods. They can monitor brain waves, blood flow, or glucose consumption in the brain to find out which part of the brain is…

Introduction and Definition Cerebral palsy (CP) is defined as a group of nonspecific, nonprogressive disorders of posture and movement control, where cerebral refers to the brain and palsy refers to the loss or impairment of motor function (Hadders-Algra, 2014, p. 1; NINDS, 2013). It is the leading cause of childhood disability and is reported in 2-3.3 per 1,000 births (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke [NINDS], 2013). This means that its diagnosis varies from case to case…

For the Disease and Disorder Project, I choose Multiple Sclerosis as my topic. Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, affects about 400,000 people in the United States and over 2.5 million people around the world. (Adelman G, et al. 2013) It can affect any race or gender. I chose this autoimmune disorder because I already had some prior knowledge of what it is and how it affects the host. Its effects can be permanent and it is an incurable disorder. This research really opened my eyes to how Multiple…

Electrophysiological technologies record the electrical activity of neurons within the brains and is able to reveal information about how our brain works on both a single cell and network level (Kazakou as cited in Scientists and Artists in Collaboration for A Nervous Encounter, 2012, p.11). As a response to these discoveries Kazakou decided to create artworks that represent the voltages that occur in our brain interested in how these cellular impulses influence our "emotions and energies as…

Director Estela Renner’s documentary The Beginning of Life focuses on the title and “explored the impact of a child’s early environment on their cognitive, social, and emotional development (UnicefUSA.org, 2016). This documentary takes on the ideas of scientists, advocates, and parents around the world and uses them to explore the ways in which tending to an infant’s needs can ultimately shape the human society. Many researchers, scientist, philosophers, psychiatrist and even parents brought…

What You Need to Know About Slipped and Herniated Discs Do you often experience a tingling sensation on your hands and legs? Do you have a pain that starts in the back and moves to your hand and feet? These may be signs indicating that you have a herniated or slipped disc. Discs are like cushions that keep our spine protected. They have a soft cartilage interior and a tough exterior meant to fit in between the vertebrae. A slipped disc means that the outer layer of the disc has cracked out…

Everyone in this world faces adversity at some point in their life. Everyone is not, however, born with a genetic condition that has the odds stacked against them from the very beginning. Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) is a rare form of genetic mutation that shows some aspects of physiological aging from a very young age. Symptoms become more prominent as a carrier of the disease ages. HGPS is of interest to me, because this is a disorder that resembles accelerated aging, and if we…