brain, spinal cord, and nerve disorders
Introduction to Symptoms of Brain, Spinal Cord, and Nerve Disorders
Introduction
Disorders that affect the brain, spinal cord, and nerves are called neurologic disorders. Neurologic symptoms—symptoms caused by a disorder that affects part or all of the nervous system—can vary greatly because the nervous system controls so many different body functions. Symptoms can include all forms of pain, including Overview of Headache and Neurologic disorders can interfere with sleep, making a person anxious or excited at bedtime and thus tired and sleepy during the day. Neurologic symptoms may be minor (such as a foot that has fallen asleep) or life threatening (such as coma due to stroke). Neurologic symptoms—symptoms caused by a disorder that affects part or all of the nervous system—can vary greatly because the nervous system controls so many different body functions. Symptoms can include all forms of pain and can involve muscle function, sensation, the special senses (vision, taste, smell, and hearing), sleep, awareness (consciousness), and mental function (cognition). The following are some relatively common neurologic symptoms: Pain Low Back Pain None Neck Pain None Overview of Headache None Pain along a nerve pathway (as in Sciatica or Muscle malfunction Weakness None Tremor (rhythmic shaking of a body part) Paralysis Involuntary (unintended) movements (such as Tourette Syndrome and Other Tic Disorders in Children and Adolescents ) Abnormalities in walking Clumsiness or Coordination Disorders None Muscle Cramps None Rigidity, stiffness, and spasticity (muscle spasms resulting from muscle stiffness) Slowed movements Changes in sensation Numbness of the skin Tingling or a pins-and-needles sensation Increased sensitivity (hypersensitivity) to light touch Loss of sensation for touch, cold, heat, or pain Loss of position sense (knowing where parts of the body are in space) Changes in the special senses Overview of Smell and Taste Disorders None Visual hallucinations Partial or complete Sudden Vision Loss None Double Vision None Hearing Loss None Ringing or other sounds originating in the ears ( Ear Ringing or Buzzing ) Other symptoms Dizziness and Vertigo None Loss of balance Difficulty Swallowing None Slurred speech ( Dysarthria ) Sleep problems Insomnia and Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) None Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD) and Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) None Falling asleep uncontrollably (as in Narcolepsy ) or sleeping too much Changes in consciousness Fainting None Confusion or Delirium None Seizure Disorders (ranging from brief lapses in consciousness to severe muscle contractions and jerking throughout the body) Stupor and Coma None Stupor and Coma None Changes in cognition (mental ability) Difficulty understanding language or using language to speak or write ( Aphasia ) Memory Loss None Difficulty with common motor skills, such as striking a match or combing hair, despite normal strength ( Apraxia ) Inability to recognize familiar objects ( Agnosia ) or familiar faces (prosopagnosia) Inability to sustain concentration when doing a task Inability to distinguish right from left Inability to do simple arithmetic (acalculia) Difficulty understanding spatial relationships (for example, being unable to draw a clock or becoming lost driving in a familiar neighborhood) Dementia (dysfunction of several cognitive functions) Neglect of one side of the body or denial that it exists (often due to a brain injury) The characteristics and pattern of symptoms help doctors diagnose the neurologic disorder. Doctors also do a Neurologic Examination , which can detect disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves in other parts of the body (peripheral nerves). Overview of the Peripheral Nervous System include The nerves that connect the head, face, eyes, nose, ears, and their muscles to the brain ( Overview of the Cranial Nerves ) The nerves that connect the spinal cord to the rest of the body: 31 pairs of Anatomy None Nerves that run throughout the body Some peripheral nerves (sensory nerves) carry sensory information (about such things as pain, temperature, vibration, smells, and sounds) to the spinal cord and then to the brain. Others (motor nerves) carry impulses that control muscle movement from the brain through the spinal cord to the muscles. Still others (called the Overview of the Autonomic Nervous System ) carry information about the body and external environment to the internal organs, such as the blood vessels, stomach, intestine, liver, kidneys, and bladder. In response to this information, autonomic nerves stimulate or inhibit the organs they supply. These nerves work automatically (autonomously), without a person’s conscious effort. If motor nerves are damaged, muscles may weaken or become paralyzed. If sensory nerves are damaged, abnormal sensations may be felt or sensation, sight, or another sense may be impaired or lost. If autonomic nerves are damaged, the organ they regulate may malfunction. For example, blood pressure may not increase as it normally does when a person stands, and the person may feel Dizziness or Light-Headedness When Standing Up . 