The human brain receives and processes information from the five senses of sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing. The brain guides thinking, memory, speaking, movement and organ function, says the American Association of Neurological Surgeons...
The brain, the cranial portion of the central nervous system, is the center for control of all nerve and sensory activity in the body. The weight of the brain is about three lbs. Parts of the brain include the cerebrum, cerebellum, pons, medulla...
The muscular system is responsible for all of the body's movement. It is made up of muscles and tendons. There are three types of muscle: smooth, cardiac and voluntary. There are numerous types of muscular system diseases that can affect any type...
The human body has skeletal or striated-voluntary muscle, cardiac or striated-involuntary muscle and smooth or unstriated-involuntary muscle. At rest or less than maximal exercise intensities, your muscles get their energy from aerobic respiration...
Parkinson's disease slows down the voluntary movement of muscles. It causes hands and arms to shake when they are at rest, and it leads to the signature "Parkinsonian gait," a tentative, stooped walk with little or no arm swing. Dopamine is a...
A warmup is a critical component to preparing your body for physical activity, including a baseball game. Warmups prepare the athlete physically and mentally for competition. Professional baseball players use a dynamic warmup which requires...
Dilantin (phenytoin) is an anticonvulsant drug used to treat seizures such as those that arise from epilepsy. Dilantin slows down the electrical impulses in the brain that cause seizures. That slowing of brain activity can also have the effect of...
The human body is a complex network of more than 100 trillion cells that work together to carry out the body's biological processes. The body is made up of many different systems, including the musculoskeletal system, digestive system, nervous...
Brain clots, or blood clots in the brain, cut off the supply of blood to part of the brain. This interferes with the proper function of the brain tissue supplied by the occluded artery. If the symptoms are transient, defined as lasting less than...
The human body has three types of muscle tissue: cardiac, smooth and skeletal. Cardiac muscle, as its name implies, is the muscle of the heart. Smooth muscle is the muscle that lines the walls of the organs of the body, such as the intestinal...
The main function of the muscular system is to provide movement for the body. They muscular system is made up of three types of muscles: skeletal, smooth and cardiac. Skeletal muscle is the voluntary muscle whose movement can be controlled, smooth...
A variety of over-the-counter sleep aids are available, usually with the antihistamine diphenhydramine as the active ingredient. Beside treating allergies and the common cold, the drug can be used as a treatment for rashes, itching, insect bites,...
Brain tumors are the most common solid tumor among children, according to the Medical University of South Carolina Children's Hospital. Symptoms of brain tumors can vary depending on where the tumor is located, since different areas of the brain...
Valerian Complex is an over-the-counter supplement that contains three natural herbs: valerian root, passionflower and spiny jujube seed. This supplement is promoted to help encourage relaxation and sleep in people with sleeping disorders, such as...
Control of your muscles requires the proper function of both your nerves and your muscles. If you are shaking uncontrollably, it is a sign that either your nerves or your muscles are not working properly. Thyroid disease, though not...
Spasms occur when muscle fibers contract involuntarily. There are three types of muscle fibers: skeletal muscles, smooth muscles and cardiac muscles. Smooth and cardiac muscles control involuntary functions such as digestion and heartbeat....
The human body requires muscle contractions to complete many of the functions of everyday life. There are three types of muscle in the body: skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle. Skeletal muscle is found in the large muscles of the body and is...
Your body depends on the work of involuntary muscles (such as your heart) and voluntary muscles (such as the major skeletal muscles in your arms and legs) to perform the mechanical actions of your body. When using a muscle relaxant, the medication...
The brain is the control center for most of the body, receiving and processing signals in the body. While it is the source of intellectual activity, its functions also include interpreting senses, initiating body movement, coordinating motion and...
Botox, medically known as botulinum toxin type A, is an FDA-approved injectable prescription drug administered by a physician to temporarily remove or loosen facial wrinkles, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Botox can also be used to...
Components of vitamin E called tocotrienols help protect nerve cells from damage after a stroke. Because paralysis is a common and devastating outcome of ALS, the hope is that tocotrienols may offer similar protections to halt the disease's...
Mestinon is a drug used to treat a rare auto-immune condition called myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular disorder that causes weakness and fatigue of the muscles under voluntary control. It works by preventing the breakdown of a chemical called...
Lou Gehrig's disease, clinically known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of the motor neurons resulting in the loss of muscle function. Lou Gehrig's disease is characterized by the deterioration of...
Your body consists of over 600 muscles that make up about 40 percent of your total body weight. These muscles are constantly contracting and relaxing in an effort to make your body parts move. You can increase the strength of your muscles by...
Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) is the chief identifiable symptom of narcolepsy, and typically the first to manifest. Almost 90 percent of all narcoleptics suffer from EDS. EDS can strike even if a person with narcolepsy got plenty of sleep the...
Exercising is the way to shape and strengthen your muscles, including those that make up your buttocks, otherwise known as your gluteal muscles. However, hectic lifestyles that require extensive travel or driving can keep you out of the gym. By...
Since facial exercises can help build muscle tone and improve circulation, they are often employed as a means of gaining a more youthful appearance. Building the facial muscles can lead to the covering skin becoming more taut. Several types of...
Muscle twitches, also known as fasciculations, occur commonly in healthy people. Often these twitches have no known cause. Sometimes caffeine or stress can make them worse, as MedlinePlus explains. Twitches can come and go, and usually don't last...
The human body consists of roughly 700 individual muscles, comprising approximately 40 to 50 percent of an adult's total body weight. Muscles play a more pivotal role for humans than simply aesthetic purposes. In many ways, muscle contributes to...
Incontinence is the loss of control of excretory functions. Get expert tips and advice on treating and living with incontinence in this medical video.