Nerve Disease

∞ generated and posted on 2018.09.02 ∞

Diseases and conditions of the peripheral nervous system consist of pathologies and/or injuries of nerves, neurons, or neuron-supporting cells other than those associated with the brain and spinal cord.

Diseases of the peripheral nervous system include brachial plexus injuries, carpel tunnel syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, complex regional pain syndrome, diabetic neuropathy, Guillain-Barré syndrome, multiple sclerosis, muscle weakness, neurodegenerative disease, numbness, peripheral nerve injuries, peripheral neuropathy, polio, polyneuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia, Radiculopathy, sciatica, sensitivity to touch, thoracic outlet syndrome, etc.

This page contains the following terms: Multiple sclerosis, Polio

The above video provides an overview of different types of especially mechanical nerve damage to the peripheral nervous system.



Multiple sclerosis

Disease associated with inflammatory damage to myelin sheaths located in the central nervous system.
Though technically a disease of the central nervous system, multiple sclerosis, or MS, can affect numerous systems seen external to the central nervous system such as difficulty in walking. This illustrates both the importance of myelin towards normal neural functioning and the importance of the central nervous system towards normal functioning of the rest of the body.


Links to terms of possible interest: Degenerative disease, Multiple sclerosis, Myelin, Nervous system, Symptoms

Short overview of what multiple sclerosis consists of.



Polio

  		Virus-caused gastrointestinal disease that in relatively rare cases can lead to the death of a subset of motor neurons.
Known more formally as poliomyelitis or instead infantile paralysis – referring to the relatively rare impact of the polio virus on neurons – polio more commonly is a gastrointestinal disease though also can involve the respiratory tract. The paralytic disease is associated particularly with virus entrance into the blood in association with immune system insufficiencies in the sufferer.

xPolio nonetheless is an acute, meaning relatively short-lived infection that also typically is relatively mild in terms of its effect on the body. It is paralytic poliomyelitis, however, that we vaccinate against, though both the paralytic and non-paralytic forms of the disease are caused by the same viruses.


Links to terms of possible interest: Anterior horn, Gray matter, Motor neuron, Paralytic poliomyelitis

A brief overview of poliomyelitis which provides a good sense of why the disease was feared.

The above is a historical film heralding the introduction of the Salk polio vaccine, in 1955. It was followed in 1962 with the Sabin polio vaccine.