DISEASES OF THE BRAIN AND THE NERVOUS SYSTEM There are a number of and the nervous system, among which are: diseases related to the brain Dementia It is a collection of symptoms that are caused by disorders affecting the brain. It affects thinking, behaviour, and your ability to do normal . About 7 in 10 people with dementia have Alzheimer’s disease. tasks WARM UP Why do you have to wear a helmet when practislng some sports? Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) 1 It attacks brain cells and neurotransmitters (chemicals that carry messages between brain cells), affecting the way your brain functions, your memory and the way you . It is also the most common form of dementia. behave ■ Cerebral (CP) palsy It is a condition in which the ability to control muscles is reduced nervous system damage before, during or after birth. This nervous system damage affects body movement and posture. It can also be associated with vision, hearing, speech, eating and learning. due to impaired ■ Epilepsy It is a common, long-term brain condition where a person has repeated . Having just one seizure is not considered to be epilepsy – about half the people who have one seizure never have another seizure. Epilepsy is not one single condition but it is a of different conditions that can cause seizures. seizures range ■ Motor neurone disease (MND) • It is a condition which affects the nerve cells (neurons), causing in the muscles that gets worse and eventually to paralysis. It is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS. weakness leads MORE According to the National lnstitute on Aging, the more education you have, the lower your risk of getting AD. 1 Multiple sclerosis (MS) 1 It is a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system and is three times more common in women than in men. MS means there is damage to the protective cover (known as myelin) that surrounds the nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord. Concussion Other problems related to the brain are brain or spinal injuries caused by in a variety of accidents. They differ in complexity and severity and their effects go from mild to severe. Symptoms of concussion can go from brief loss of , headache and confusion to persistent headache, repeated vomiting or nausea, and convulsions or seizures. concussion consciousness DO Many scientists believe that MS is an autoimmune disease which develops when the immune system attacks its own a. ; b. ; c. cells, tissues and organs. 1 sick healthy pathogenic