Cephalon markets the drug Provigil, also known as modafinil. Modafinil is a central nervous system stimulant and is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treating sleep disorders. Parkinson's is a degenerative disease of the central...
Copper is necessary for several bodily functions, but you only need a small amount of it each day. While rare, consuming too much copper can lead to toxicity, which is characterized by many adverse symptoms. An inherited condition known as...
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) defines an aneurysm of the brain as "a weakened area in the wall of a blood vessel." An estimated 5 percent of the population has a brain aneurysm. The symptoms depend on the location of the aneurysm,...
According to the U.S.Department of Agriculture's Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, daily moderate alcohol consumption, consisting of one drink for women and two for men, can be beneficial. Adults who drink in moderation have lower rates of...
The term dementia identifies a classification of symptoms used to describe the irreversible degeneration of cognitive function. Loss of memory, mood changes and difficulties with communication are symptomatic of all forms of dementia. However, in...
Eating fish weekly is recommended as part of a healthy diet. Tuna and other fish are high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients, and low in the less healthy saturated fat. But you may be concerned about the amount of contaminants in...
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) states that diabetic neuropathy is a complication of diabetes, where the nerves are damaged by high blood sugar (hyperglycemia ). The symptoms of diabetic neuropathy are dependent on which nerves are...
Parkinson's disease is a progressive, neurological disorder that affects movement and is caused by the destruction of nerve cells in the brain that release certain chemicals responsible for normal movement. The disease is characterized by stooped...
Thalamotomy is a surgical technique that involves the destruction or removal of certain regions of the brain. This procedure is typically performed in an effort to decrease symptoms of pain or involuntary muscle spasms experienced by patients with...
Cerebral palsy, a group of disorders that affects young children, is a neurological condition. Cerebral palsy causes weak muscles to be flaccid or rigid. According to the Mayo Clinic, cerebral palsy occurs in two to four of every 1,000 births in...
Bleeding in the brain is a serious condition that can put a patient's life at risk. In areas of the brain where the bleeding does not occur, the brain tissue does not get enough oxygen. Without oxygen, brain cells die within three to four minutes,...
The brain communicates with itself and the rest of the body through electrical impulses sent between neurons. In seizure disorders, the electrical impulses in the brain are temporarily disrupted, resulting in a wide variety of symptoms due to...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the third leading cause of death is stroke. There are two causes of strokes. A hemorrhagic stroke happens when a blood vessel bursts and an ischemic stroke happens when the blood supply...
Diabetic neuropathy describes damage to nerves that results from diabetes. Roughly 60 to 70 percent of people with diabetes develop neuropathy, according to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. Nerves are essential for the correct...
Anyone caring for Alzheimer's sufferers knows that communicating with them is not easy. Each stage of the disease offers its own set of challenges when it comes to speech and language. During the normal aging process, many of us forget words. In...
Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, or vCJD, is a rare degenerative brain disorder that leads to dementia and eventual death. Scientists believe an abnormal protein known as a prion causes vCJD by causing other proteins within the body to collapse...
Isoniazid (isonicotinylhydrazine or INH), is a medication administered as a first line of defense against tuberculosis, a disease which infects nearly one-third of the world's population, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and...
Rituxan, the registered name for rituximab, is considered a frontline treatment for certain leukemias and B-cell lymphomas. Rituxan is also prescribed for patients with rheumatoid arthritis who do not respond to other therapies. Rituxan is given...
Managing blood sugar can be tricky with diabetes, and even with tight blood sugar control, a diabetic may experience hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar. The body uses blood sugar for energy and relies on insulin to regulate the proper amount of...
When a person suffers a stroke, the blood supply to the brain is cut off and brain cells begin to die quickly. Effects of a stroke may include loss of muscle movement, speech impairment, memory loss and behavior changes. According to the American...
AIDS is an auto-immune disorder that weakens the immune system to the point that it can't fight off disease. Its a chronic and sometimes life-threatening disease that gradually gets worse until the body has little or no resistance left. AIDS...
Headaches are not only painful; they disrupt your ability to carry out daily tasks. When a headache strikes, it may be mild or severe and debilitating, lasting from a few minutes to a few days. While doctors prescribe a battery of medications to...
Like other forms of neuropathy, a patient with alcoholic neuropathy has damage to her nerves. Depending on the type of nerves affected, the patient can have problems with sensation, movement or autonomic functions, like urination. While excessive...
The myelin sheath is a fatty layer that protects nerve cells, extending to cover the nerve throughout its length, except in small, unmyelinated gaps known as the nodes of Ranvier. Myelin aids in accelerating the speed at which an impulse travels...
Your brain is your control center for every organ function in your body. It is protected by a thin layer of bone, which is your skull. The brain can be easily damaged with your head's impact to a hard surface, especially at high speeds. In skiing,...
Parkinson's disease is a chronic condition that attacks the brain cells responsible for movement and coordination. Symptoms become progressively worse over an extended period of time. According to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, there is no...
Lightheadedness after running can be a frightening experience, especially if it occurs suddenly. A variety of factors, such as improper exercise techniques or poor nutrition, can encourage dizziness. Because lightheadedness after exercise can...
Lexotan is the trade name for the prescription medication bromazepam. Lexotan is indicated for the treatment of tension, anxiety and agitation. It is a benzodiazepine medication which increases the neurotransmitter GABA, which in turn functions to...
Vitamin B-12 injections are often given to those who ingest alcohol on a consistent basis, because chronic alcohol exposure is a precursor for significant deficiency. B-12 is necessary for many biological functions, including the maintenance of...