Introduction
In this section, you are going to study and understand a list of some disorders of the brain. This section consists of some common brain disorders, their symptoms, causes, risk factors, and preventions. Here is a list of some common brain disorders, as described below.
6. Brain disorders list
- Parkinson’s and Other Movement Disorders.
- Mental Disorders.
- Brain Cancer
- Seizure
- Creutzfeld-Jakob disease (CJD)
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
- 1. Parkinson’s Disease
It is a brain disorder, that leads to shaking (tremors) and disturbance with movement, body balance, coordination, and walking.
Symptoms
- Slowness of movement
- Stiffness of the trunk and limbs
- Tremor (trembling) in hands, legs, jaws, arms, or head
- Impaired balance and coordination, sometimes leading to falls
Causes
The basic causes of how the loss of nerve cells in Parkinson’s Disease occurs are not known, however, research is ongoing to recognize the real facts and causes. Recent evidence showed that genetic changes and environmental factors may be responsible for the disease.
Risk factors
Following are some risk factors for Parkinson’s Disease
- Head trauma
- Medications and drugs
- Exposure to chemicals
- Some Genetic factors
- Impact of smoking
- Age and sex
Prevention
A person can prevent Parkinson’s Disease by adopting the following measures:
- Eat Fresh, Raw Vegetables
- Incorporate Omega-3 Fatty Acids Into his Diet.
- Go Organic (and Local) Pesticides and herbicides have been heavily implicated in causing Parkinson’s. ..
- Vitamin D3
- CoQ10
- Regular Aerobic Exercise.
- Taking Green Tea.
2. Mental Disorders
There are different kinds of mental disorders. They are basically characterized by a combination of perceptions, behavior, abnormal thoughts, emotions, and relationships with others.
Mental disorders involved: psychoses, dementia, depression, bipolar disorder, developmental disorders, and schizophrenia.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of mental disorders are as follow.
- Confused thinking
- problems sleeping
- Extreme feelings of guilt.
- Excessive fears or worries
- Feeling sad
Causes
General causes of Mental disorders are as under:
- A traumatic brain injury
- Stress
- Biological factors such as chemical imbalances in the brain
- Person’s genes and family history.
- Negative thought
- Unhealthy habits, such as not eating, or not getting enough sleep.
- Brain chemistry.
- Environment
Risk factors
The background history of mental disorders is associated with the blood relationship, for example, siblings and ancestors. Chronic diabetes is also considered a risk factor.
Prevention
There is no proper way to prevent mental illness or mental disorders, although the following steps may be helpful to avoid mental disorders:
- Hospitalization
- Complementary & Alternative Medicine.
- Peer Support
- Self Help Plan
- Support Groups
- Medication. Medication does not outright cure mental illness
- Psychotherapy. Psychotherapy is the treatment of mental illness provided by a trained mental health professional.
3. Brain Cancer
Cancer in the central processing center of the body is termed Brain Cancer. Generally, two types of tumors malignant or benign, cause brain cancer. The malignant tumors spread from one cell to another cell causing disease. The spreading of disease is generally termed metastasis. While benign tumors do not spread from cell to cell.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of brain cancer are listed below:
- Memory problems
- Fatigue
- Personality or memory changes
- Drowsiness
- Seizures
- Headaches
- Vomiting
Causes
The basic causes of brain cancer are listed below:
- Exposure to radiation
- Race. ..
- Chemical exposure.
- Family history
- Genetics
- Age
Prevention
There is no proper way to prevent brain cancer, however, you can reduce your risk of getting it if you:
- Avoid smoking.
- Avoid exposure to carcinogenic chemicals
- Avoid unnecessary exposure to radiation
- Avoid exposure to pesticides and insecticides
4. Seizure
A seizure may be defined as, an uncontrolled, sudden, and electrical disturbance in the brain. It can cause changes in your feelings or behavior and levels of consciousness.
Seizures Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of seizure are listed below:
- Stiffening of the body
- Loss of bowel or bladder control
- Jerking movements of arms and legs
- Breathing complications
- Staring
Causes
The causes of seizures are described below:
- Electric shock
- Brain tumor
- Brain infection (meningitis)
- Drug abuse
- Abnormal levels of sodium or glucose in the blood.
Prevention
The followings are the preventive tips for Seizures:
- Set a regular sleep schedule, and stick to it. Get plenty of sleep each night
- Avoid flashing, bright lights
- Learn stress relaxation and management techniques
- Do not take alcohol and drugs
- 5. Creutzfeld-Jakob disease (CJD)
Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD), is also known as a neurocognitive disorder due to prion disease. It is a fatal brain disorder.
Creutzfeld-Jakob disease symptoms
Initial signs and symptoms of Creutzfeild-Jackob disease are given below:
- behavioral changes
- memory problems
- visual disturbances
- poor coordination
Causes
CJD is caused by an infectious protein called a prion. Many prions start to accumulate in the brain and cause damage to the nerve cells of the brain.
Prevention
The drugs sodium valproate and clonazepam may help relieve myoclonus.
- 6. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is an accumulation of neurological diseases that involve the nerve cells responsible, in order to control voluntary muscular movements. Voluntary muscles produce movements like talking, walking, and chewing.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of ALS are listed below:
- slurred and nasal speech
- tight and stiff muscles (spasticity)
- muscle cramps
- fasciculations (muscle twitches) in the arm, leg, shoulder, or tongue
- difficulty chewing or swallowing
- muscle weakness affecting an arm, neck region, leg, or diaphragm
Who is the most likely to get ALS?
Gender: Women are slightly less likely to develop ALS than men.
Age: Although the disease may appear at any age, symptoms most commonly appear between the ages of 55 and 75.
Causes of ALS:
Environmental factors that might trigger ALS are listed below:
- Military service
- Smoking
- Environmental toxin exposure
- Chemical imbalance
ALS treatment
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the drugs edaravone (Radicava) and riluzole (Rilutek) may help to treat ALS. Riluzole is thought to be the most effective drug to reduce damage to motor neurons by decreasing levels of glutamate, which transports messages between nerve cells and motor neurons.