The nervous system is a complex, sophisticated system that regulates and coordinates the body’s basic functions and activities. It is made up of central nervous system; consisting of the brain and spinal cord; and the peripheral nervous system; consisting of all other neural elements;
Neurological disorders include diseases of the central and peripheral systema nervosum like,
The brain
Spinal cord
Cranial nerves
Peripheral nerves
Nerve roots
Autonomic nervous system
Neuromuscular junction
Muscles
These disorders include;
epilepsy
Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias
cerebrovascular diseases including stroke
migraine and other headache disorders
multiple sclerosis
Parkinson’s disease
neuro-infections
brain tumors
traumatic disorders of the nervous system such as brain trauma
neurological disorders as a result of malnutrition
In addition, there are a number of diseases that attack the nervous system itself. They include;
infections (bacterial, viral or fungal)
cancers (malignant or benign)
degenerative conditions (such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease)
disorders of function (e.g. epilepsy, Tourette’s syndrome)
A psychological state disorder characterised by persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in lifestyle.
The persistent feeling of sadness or loss of interest that characterizes major depression can cause a variety of behavioral and physical symptoms. These may include changes in sleep, appetite, energy state, concentration, daily behavior or self-esteem. Depression also can be related to thoughts of suicide.
The mainstay of treatment is typically medication, talk therapy or a mixture of the 2. Increasingly, research suggests that these treatments may normalize brain changes related to depression.
Neurological disorders are those that are typically diagnosed during infancy, childhood, or adolescence. These disorders include:
Intellectual Developmental Disorder – This type of developmental disorder originates before the age of 18 and is characterized by limitations in both intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviors.
Global developmental delay – This diagnosis is for developmental disabilities in children who are under the age of five. It is generally seen as a short lived diagnosis applying to kids who are still too young to require standardized IQ tests. Once children reach the age where they are able to take a standardized intelligence test, they may be diagnosed with an intellectual disability.
Communication disorders – These disorders are those that impact the ability to use, understand, or detect language and speech. The DSM-5 identifies four different subtypes of communication disorders: language disorder, phone disorder, childhood onset fluency disorder (stuttering), and social (pragmatic) communication disorder.
Autism – This disorder is characterized by persistent deficits in social interaction and communication in multiple life areas as well as restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviors. The DSM specifies that symptoms of autism spectrum disorder must be present during the first developmental period which these symptoms must cause significant impairment in important areas of life including social and occupational functioning.
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
ADHD is characterized by a persistent pattern of hyperactivity-impulsivity and/or inattention that interferes with functioning and presents itself in two or more settings such as at home, work, school, and social situations. The DSM-5 specifies that several of the symptoms must have been present prior to the age of 12 and that these symptoms must have a negative impact on social, occupational, or academic functioning.
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder is characterized by shifts in mood also as changes in activity and energy levels. Such elevated moods are often pronounced and are mentioned either as mania or hypomania.
Mania
This mood is characterized by a distinct period of elevated, expansive, or irritable mood accompanied by increased activity and energy. People experiencing mania also are more susceptible to engage in activities which may have negative long-term consequences like gambling and shopping sprees.
Depression
Is characterized by feelings of a depressed or sad mood along with a lack of interest in activities. It may also involve feelings of guilt, fatigue, and irritability. During a depressive period, people with manic depression may lose interest in activities that they previously enjoyed, experience sleeping difficulties, and even have thoughts of suicide.
Fortunately, appropriate and effective treatments, which frequently include both medications and psychotherapy, can help people with manic depression successfully manage their symptoms.
Anxiety disorders
Anxiety disorders are people who are characterized by excessive and protracted fear, worry, anxiety and related behavioral disturbances. Types of anxiety disorders include:
Generalized anxiety disorders
This disorder is marked by excessive worry about everyday events. stress is a traditional and even common a part of life that it interferes with an individual’s well-being and functioning.
Agoraphobia
This condition is characterized by a pronounced fear a wide range of public places. People who experience this disorder often fear that they’re going to suffer a scare during a setting where escape could be difficult. Agoraphobia often avoid situations which may trigger an attack. In some cases, this avoidance behavior can reach some extent where the individual is unable to even leave their house.
Social anxiety disorder
Social mental disorder may be a fairly common mental disorder that involves an irrational fear of being watched or judged. The anxiety caused by this disorder can have a serious impact on a person’s life and make it difficult to function at college, work, and other social settings.
Other phobias
Trauma and stressor-related disorders involve exposure to a stressful or traumatic event. These were previously grouped with anxiety disorders but are now considered a definite category of disorders. Disorders included in this category include: Acute stress disorder is characterized by the emergence of severe anxiety for up to a one-month period after exposure to a traumatic event. Some examples of traumatic events include natural disasters, war, accidents, and witnessing a death.
Adjustment disorders
It can occur as a response to a sudden change such as divorce, job loss, end of a close relationship, a move, or some other loss or disappointment. This type of mental disorder can affect both children and adults and is characterized by symptoms like anxiety, irritability, depressed mood, worry, anger, hopelessness, and feelings of isolation.
PTSD
It can develop after an individual has experienced exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. Symptoms include re-experiencing the event, feeling jittery, avoiding things that remind the individual about the event, and having negative thoughts
Dissociative amnesia
This disorder involves a temporary loss of memory as a result of dissociation. In many cases, this amnesia, which can last for just a quick period or for several years, may be a results of some sort of psychological trauma.
Dissociative amnesia is much more than simple forgetfulness. Those who experience this disorder may remember some details about events but may haven’t any recall of other details around a circumscribed period of your time.
Depersonalization/derealization disorder is characterized by experiencing a way of being outside of one’s own body (depersonalization) and being disconnected from reality (derealization). People who have this disorder often feel a way of unreality and an involuntary disconnect from their own memories, feelings, and consciousness.
Somatic symptom disorder involves a preoccupation with physical symptoms that make it difficult to function normally. This preoccupation with symptoms leads to emotional distress and difficulty dealing with lifestyle.
Eating disorders
Eating disorders are characterized by obsessive concerns with weight and disruptive eating patterns that negatively impact physical and psychological state.
Types of eating disorders include:
Anorexia nervosa is characterized by restricted food consumption that results in weight loss and a really low weight. Those who experience this disorder even have a preoccupation and fear of gaining weight also as a distorted view of their own appearance and behavior.
Bulimia nervosa involves binging then taking extreme steps to catch up on these binges. These include excessive exercise, self-induced vomiting, the abuse of laxatives or diuretics.
Rumination disorder is marked by regurgitating previously chewed or swallowed food so as to either spit it out or re-swallow it. Most of these suffering from this disorder are children or adults who even have a developmental delay or intellectual disability.
Pica involves craving and consuming non-food substances like dirt, paint, or soap. The disorder most ordinarily affects children and people with developmental disabilities.
Binge-eating disorder was first introduced in the DSM-5 and involves episodes of binge eating where the individual consumes an unusually large amount of over the course of a couple hours. Not only do people overeat, however, they also feel as if they need no control over their eating. Binge eating episodes are sometimes triggered by certain emotions like feeling happy or anxious, by boredom or following stressful events.
Sleep disorders
Sleep disorders involve a disruption in sleep patterns that cause distress and affects daytime functioning. Examples of sleep disorders include:
Narcolepsy may be a condition during which people experience an irrepressible got to sleep. People with narcolepsy may experience a sudden loss of muscular tonus .
Insomnia disorder involves being unable to get enough sleep to feel rested. While all people experience sleeping difficulties and interruptions at some point, insomnia is taken into account a disorder when it’s amid significant distress or impairment over time.
Hyoersomnolence disorder is characterized by excessive sleepiness despite an adequate main sleep period. People with this condition may nod off during the day at inappropriate times like at work and faculty.
Breathing-related sleep disorders are people who involve breathing anomalies like apnea which will occur during sleep. These breathing problems may result in short interruptions in sleep which will cause other problems including insomnia and daytime sleepiness.
Parasomnias involve disorders that feature abnormal behaviors that happen during sleep. Such disorders include sleepwalking, sleep terrors, somniloquy, and sleep eating.
Restless legs syndrome is a neurological condition that involves having uncomfortable sensations in the legs and an irresistible urge to move the legs in order to relieve the sensations. People with this condition may feel tugging, creeping, burning, and crawling sensations in their legs leading to an excessive movement which then interferes with sleep.
Conduct disorder
Conduct disorder may be a condition diagnosed in children and adolescents under the age of 18 who regularly violate social norms and therefore the rights of others. These behaviors end in significant problems during a child’s academic, work, or social functioning.
Oppositional defiant disorder begins before the age of 18 and is characterized by defiance, irritability, anger, aggression, and vindictiveness.
Depressive disorders are a kind of mood disorder that include variety of conditions. They are all characterized by the presence of sad, empty, or irritable moods amid physical and cognitive symptoms.
Disruptive mood disorder: Children display frequent and intense outbursts of temper.
Major depressive disorder: A condition characterized by loss of interest in activities and depressed mood which leads to significant impairments in how a person is able to function.
Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia): This is a type of ongoing, chronic depression that is characterized by other symptoms of depression that, while often less severe, are longer lasting. Diagnosis requires experiencing depressed mood on most days for a period of at least two years.
Other or unspecified depressive disorder: This diagnosis is for cases when symptoms do not meet the criteria for the diagnosis of another depressive disorder, but they still create problems with an individual’s life and functioning.
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: This condition is a form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) characterized by significant depression, irritability, and anxiety that begins a week or two before menstruation begins. Symptoms usually go away within a few day’s following a woman’s period.
Substance/medication-induced depressive disorder: This condition occurs when an individual experiences symptoms of a depressive disorder either while using alcohol or other substances or while going through withdrawal from a substance.
Depressive disorder due to another medical condition: This condition is diagnosed when a person’s medical history suggests that their depressive symptoms may be the result of a medical condition. Medical conditions that may contribute to or because depression include diabetes, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, autoimmune conditions, chronic pain conditions, cancer, infections and HIV/AIDS.
The diagnostic criteria vary for each specific condition. For major depressive disorder, diagnosis requires an individual to experience five or more of the following symptoms over the same two-week period.
One of these symptoms must include either depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in previously enjoyed activities. Symptoms can include:
Decreased or lack of interest in activities the individual previously enjoyed- Significant weight loss or gain, or decreased or increased appetite
- Sleep disturbances (insomnia or hypersomnia)
- Feelings of slowed physical activity or restlessness
- Lack of energy or fatigue that lasts most or all of the day
- Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
- Difficulty thinking or concentrating
- Preoccupation with death or thoughts of suicide
Treatments for depressive disorders often involve a combination of psychotherapy and medications.
Substance related disorders
and abuse of various substances like cocaine, methamphetamine, opiates, and alcohol. Examples of substance-related disorders:
Inhalant-use disorders involve inhaling fumes from things such as paints or solvents. As with other substance-related disorders, people with this condition experience craving for the substance and find it difficult to regulate or stop engaging within the behavior.
Stimulant use disorder involves the use of stimulants such as meth, amphetamines, and cocaine.
Delirium
Delirium is also known as acute confusional state. This disorder develops over a short period of time—usually a few hours or a few days—and is characterized by disturbances in attention and awareness.
Major and mild neurocognitive disorders have the first feature of acquired cognitive decline in one or more areas including memory, attention, language, learning, and perception. These cognitive disorders can be due to medical conditions including Alzheimer’s disease, HIV infection, Parkinson’s disease, substance/medication use, vascular disease, and others.
Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric condition that affects a person’s thinking, feeling, and behavior. It is a complex, long-term condition that affects about one percent of people in the United States.
One symptom must be one of the following:
Delusions: beliefs that conflict with reality
Hallucinations: seeing or hearing things which doesn’t exist.
Disorganized speech: not able to follow the rules of language and impossible to understand
The second symptom could also be one among the following:
Negative symptoms: the inability to initiate plans, speak, express emotions, or feel pleasure
Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders include:
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Body-dysmorphic disorder
Hoarding disorder
Hoarding disorder
Excoriation disorder (skin picking)
Substance/medication-induced obsessive-compulsive and related disorder
Each condition in this classification has its own set of diagnostic criteria.
Obsessions: defined as recurrent, persistent thoughts, impulses, and urges that lead to distress or anxiety
Compulsions: repetitive and excessive behaviors that the individual feels that they must perform. These actions are performed to scale back anxiety or to stop some dreaded outcome from occurring.
Personality disorders are characterized by an enduring pattern of maladaptive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that can cause serious detriments to relationships and other life areas.10 Types of personality disorders include:
Antisocial mental disorder is characterized by a long-standing disregard for rules, social norms, and therefore the rights of others.
Avoidant personality disorder involves severe social inhibition and sensitivity to rejection. Such feelings of insecurity cause significant problems with the individual’s lifestyle and functioning.
Borderline personality disorder is associated with symptoms including emotional instability, unstable and intense interpersonal relationships, unstable self-image, and impulsive behaviors.
Dependent mental disorder involves a chronic pattern of fearing separation and an excessive got to be taken care of. People with this disorder will often engage in behaviors that are designed to supply care-giving actions in others.
Histrionic mental disorder is related to patterns of utmost emotionality and attention-seeking behaviors. People with this condition feel uncomfortable in settings where they’re not the middle of attention, have rapidly changing emotions, and should engage in socially inappropriate behaviors designed to attract attention from others.
Narcissistic personality disorder is related to an enduring pattern of exaggerated self-image, self-centeredness, and low empathy. People with this condition tend to be more curious about themselves than with others.
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorders a pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, inflexibility, and mental perfectionism, and interpersonal control. This is a different condition than obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
Paranoid mental disorder is characterized by a distrust of others, even family, friends, and romantic partners. People with this disorder perceive others intentions as malevolent, even with none evidence or justification.
Schizoid personality disorder involves symptoms that include being detached from social relationships.