Neurological Problems Health Feed

It is very important for any individual suffering from a neurological disorder to take medical assistance. The possible neurological condition can be diagnosed by doing some medical examinations. Some of the examinations that are conducted for diagnosis include a neurological exam, genetic screening, brain scans and many other tests.

Malfunction of the brain can be caused in more than one region of the brain like frontal cortex, anterior cingulate, Parietal cortex and Basal ganglia. It is very important that symptoms are noticed and the required tests are done immediately. In case of malfunctioning in the Basal ganglia, there are chances that patients experience more anxiety and avoid clashes in life excessively.

Self - assessment test for neurological disorders

• Self-assessment and self-administered tests can identify the presence of the neurological disorder, but it is best to seek medical assistance in such cases. The self-assessment tests can be done by an individual when they face symptoms like problems in urinating, difficulty in concentrating, problems with writing and holding objects, and experiencing blurred vision.
• It is important for an individual facing complaints like a headache, numbness in the arms or legs, changes in behavior, fatigue, blurry vision, slurred speech, weakness and changes in coordination to contact a medical professional. The thought of neurological disorder itself is very threatening and understanding the drug options available is very important.

Medications Used
The type of medication prescribed to the patients depends mainly on the condition of the neurological disorder. Some of the drugs that are prescribed include corticosteroids. These are provided for the treatment of multiple sclerosis and decrease inflammation. Levodopa is a drug used mainly for treating Parkinson’s disease. In addition to physical examination and complete medical history, the diagnostic procedures that are carried out for neurological disorders include Computer Tomography scan (CT scan), Electroencephalogram (EEG), Electromyography (EMG) and Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

It takes some time for a patient to return to normal life after a brain surgery. The patient must take extra rest for the healing to occur. The time for the recovery after brain surgery differs from one individual to another and mainly depends on the location of the surgery in the brain, the procedure used, overall health of the patient and areas of the brain affected by the surgery. The length of the stay in the hospital also depends on factors such as type of surgery performed, and if the patient requires any further treatment.

Care after Brain Surgery

The brain surgery is carried out by a neurosurgeon who is specially trained in critical care. Here comprehensive care is provided to the patients. After the surgery, it is only after the assessment by the doctors that the patient can see his or her family members. Care of the patient after brain surgery is done in the neurosurgery nursing unit. There are chances of occurrence of some problems with regards to the thoughts, behavior and feelings of the patient after the surgery. For this reason it is important to provide assistance to the patients for recovering. They are given rehabilitation therapy for the same.

Treatment Provided by Rehabilitation Specialist

The rehabilitation specialists mainly include the speech language pathologist, occupational therapist and the physical therapist. The main role of the occupational therapists is to assess the ability of the patient in performing day to day activities such as using the toilet, getting dressed and having a bath. The therapists also check the thinking skills and vision of the patient to determine whether the patient can return to work again and be able to perform other challenging tasks.

In most cases, a brain surgery affects speech and the problem can be evaluated by the speech language pathologists. It can also affect the thinking power and language. The pathologists even evaluate the patient for disorders in swallowing food.

Right-after Care

The right-after care is necessary for brain surgery and a lot of fluids and nutrition are provided through intravenous infusions to the body. It is important for patients to sleep with their head raised to restrict the brain swelling. The patient should avoid coughing hard as such actions can lead to intracerebral pressure. It is essential to take proper rest. It is also important to try to move at frequent intervals for smooth circulation of blood and avoid stiffening of limbs.

It is important for patients to stay away from rigorous activities. They should resume any sports activity only after proper recovery. It is recommended not to go for swimming for at least one year mainly because of the risk of seizures. After the invasive procedures it is advisable not to return to full time work or to start working fewer hours.

In case the patient has a concern or query, he or she can always consult a neurosurgeon & get answers to the questions!

Movement disorders can trigger from various types of brain injuries, metabolic disturbances, inflammation, trauma, side effects of medication, genetic disorders, infections etc. The brain structures that get affected are believed to include the thalamus, brainstem, basal ganglia, cortex etc. Since all these structures function together, any abnormalities in any of the structures can compromise movement. For instance, a kid suffering from primary dystonia can lead a near normal life, if the condition is detected and treated early in life. However, on the other hand, if the same condition goes undetected it can cripple the child for the rest of his life. 

Different types of moment disorder-

1. Chorea: It results from a neurological injury. The movement of children suffering from this condition becomes irregular and dance-like. The child often becomes slow or more forceful in their movement. If the condition affects the legs, a kid can frequently stumble and face difficulty while walking. Sydenham chorea is a condition that is not very severe and is reversible with treatment. 
2. Tremor: It is a condition that is characterized by trembling or shaky movements. This often results from an underlying and undetected condition that may be genetic in nature or a side effect of other medications. A kid suffering from this condition faces difficulty in fine-tuning movements. Tremor may run in family e.g. essential tremors. 
3. Myoclonus: It a disorder that involves quick involuntary muscle jerks that a child fails to resist. The jerks can be frequent or occasional, there may or may not be a pattern involved to it. This condition has no long-term complication on a child’s health, but it is necessary to evaluate the type of myoclonus a child is suffering from and must be differentiated from myoclonic seizure. 
4. Dystonia: It causes the muscle groups to contract abnormally, due to faulty signals of the brain. Instead of a coordinated contraction of muscles, they can contract in opposition causing the push and the pull muscles to work together. This can cause uncomfortable and painful twisting of limbs. 
5. Tourette syndrome: It is involuntary in nature, where sudden sounds or movements that appear, vanishes over a prolonged time period. This condition is the advanced form of muscle tics. They can involve any part of the body and greatly varies in severity. Children can successfully suppress tics but over time they build a sense of wrongness while resisting it. Most tic disorders are reversible with the right treatment. 
6. Ataxia: It results from a failure of motor coordination of the cerebellum, due to an injury or dysfunction. This condition can have various patterns involved in it. While few types of ataxia can come and go due to a condition such as metabolic disorder, epilepsy, genetic mutation etc, some begin abruptly due to brain bleed or stroke.