A Short Note On Guillain Barre Syndrome ( Gbs ) Essay

Have you ever heard of ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease? For many people, ALS is a disorder that they may not know much about. I never heard of it either until my father was diagnosed with this disease in 2006. Because there is no known cure, it is important to detect this disease early, so that proper treatments and preparation can be done before it’s too late.

The disease has affected motor control over his body, but all mental functions, including cognition, have remained unaffected. His upper extremities, lower extremities, and facial muscles have been greatly compromised, thus decreasing his ability to walk, perform voluntary arm and hand movements, and produce coherent speech. Stephen has been using two canes to aid in ambulation but he has recently had trouble walking or standing without his wife’s assistance. Loss of motor control in his upper extremities has made it difficult to grasp the cane hand grips, feed himself, and perform self-care tasks, such as bathing, brushing teeth, and dressing. Stephen’s speech production has been affected causing his words to be slow, slurred, and sometimes incoherent due to decreased motor control of the tongue, mouth, and facial muscles. The disease has also affected muscles involved in swallowing, increasing his risk for choking while eating and drinking.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neurologic disease that affects the Central Nervous System (CNS) through cellular immune response and the demyelination of CNS white matter (McCance et al., 2014, pp. 630–633). The initial causes of MS are unknown however, it is believed that it could possibly be due to an immune response to an initiating infection or an autoimmune response to CNS antigens on the myelin itself (Brück, 2005) (Miljković and Spasojević, 2013). MS is a result of the degradation of the myelin sheath surrounding neurons and therefore disrupts the transmission of action potentials along these cells. MS can display itself in the form of symptoms ranging from muscle weakness to trouble with sensation and coordination (NHS, 2016). The degradation of myelin leads the body to attempt to remyelinate the neurons, a process that in turn leads to the thickening of the cell by glial cells and this causes lesions to form (Chari, 2007). It is this thickening (sclerae) from which the disease gets its name. Sufferers of MS can either have a relapsing type of MS, in which there are episodes that lead to the worsening of symptoms for a period of time, or a progressive type of MS where symptoms gradually progress and worsen (McCance et al., 2014, pp. 630–633).

Jeremy is a fifty five year old gentlemen who suffers from Motor Neurone Disease (MND). This disease which is reflected through the brain and spine foundation (2012) as a rare neurological condition that causes a significant

Most people do not expect to become paralyzed during the course of their lives. Barring injury to the nervous system or debilitating disease, one does not expect to lose motor function. In spite of these expectations, people of all races, sexes, ages, and classes can be afflicted with a debilitating syndrome that can lead to difficulty in walking or even to temporary paralysis in the most severe cases. This syndrome is known commonly as Guillain-Barre Syndrome, or GBS.

In the world of neurology, there are a vast amount of neurological disorders, conditions, and diseases. One severe disease is known as Multiple Sclerosis. In this research essay, I will be discussing what multiple sclerosis is, symptoms, causes, personal experience, and treatments.

Multiple Sclerosis and Guillain-Barré Syndrome are two autoimmune disorders of the nervous system that occur when the myelin sheath surrounding the axons of a nerve degenerate. Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects the central nervous system while Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) involves the peripheral nervous system.1,2 MS is a gradually regressing disease that usually occurs in one of four ways. The first is relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and is the most common. Patients typically experience relapses where the symptoms are aggravated and enhanced followed by episodes of remissions during which the symptoms cease or calm down. 3 The second type is called secondary-progressive MS (SPMS). This type mimics RRMS but undergoes a steadier decline that may or may not include relapses3. The third type is primary-progressive MS (PPMS) where the disease progresses at a more regular rate from onset. PPMS, however, may speed up, slow down, or even plateau for a bit, but no remissions are present.3 Lastly, progressive-relapsing MS (PRMS), the least common type, presents similarly to PPMS in that the decline is steady, but this type of MS has exacerbations that the patient may or may not recover from.3 Unlike MS, Guillain-Barré does not present in types and characteristically attacks more rapidly.2 It is a poorly understood disease, however, research has shown that it is generally preceded by a bacterial or viral infection.4

MG may be difficult to diagnose and may not be determined for a couple of years. Reasons are as follows: the onset is gradual with the symptoms worsening over time, weakness and fatigue can also be signs and symptoms of other diseases, one or more of the voluntary muscle groups may experience weakness and with different degrees of severity, and also every patient may experiences the disease differently. After the medical history and physical examination, the physician may see a need for further muscle and neurological tests. Blood tests can detect abnormal antibodies. Nerve conduction studies and repetitive stimulation tests the nerve’s communication with the muscle. When stimulated a number of times the test will indicate muscle weakness. Single-fiber (EMG) electromyography is a test that measures the communication between the nerve and a muscle by inserting a small needle into a single muscle and recording the electrical muscle activity. CT scan or MRI may be ordered to check for

Since the flu and flulike symptoms are risk factors for Guillain-Barre Syndrome, it is appropriate to account for pre-exposure. A larger population study would also benefit researchers since many of the current studies were unable to obtain a vast amount of case reports. This could either prove or disprove conclusions drawn by other studies that were only able to find connections but were not statistically significant due to the small number of case reports documented. Since many studies fall into the category of statistical insignificance, not much about the incidence of Guillain-Barre is absolutely proven. This leaves many opportunities for future

the U.S. today. One in 50,000 people will be affected in any one year. The

The purpose of the radiological test is to diagnose accurately and efficiently of the neurological pathology including Guillain- Barre Syndrome (GBS). Performing diagnostic imaging is essential to health care professionals because consulting a patient regarding their medical history and other present health problems and thorough physical examination is not adequate to confirm a patient's particular neurological condition (McKinnis, 2014). Furthermore due to advanced medical technologies, it is essential that the physiotherapist should improve their education in the field of neurological imaging to provide an extensive history, clinical examination and interpretations (McKinnis, 2014). Therefore, as a clinician having the knowledge and expertise with neuro-musculoskeletal imaging promotes a routine interaction with patients by educating accurate information regarding the disease and for providing an optimal patient care.

Guillain- Barre Syndrome (GBS) is a rare, but very fatal auto- immune disease that specifically focuses on attacking the myelin sheath that surrounds the peripheral nerves in the human body. There are many different severities of this disease, but without treatment it can not only affect the entire nervous system but eventually shut down the rest of the body.

The human brain is utterly baffling. A small organ weighing merely three pounds as an adult has the ability to control and shape a human’s life. Without it there would be nothing. There are so many different functions… and with that there are so many things that can go horribly wrong. It is amazing the capacities and that it possesses and we do not even realize it. That is why studying neurology and working on the treatment of neurological disorders is so critically important. Through the examination of Huntington’s disease, Bell’s Palsy, and Aphasia, neurologists can work to better the human mind and cure the diseases that attack it, which will infinitely enhance the lives of humans and create a brighter future for us all.

Regardless of which occur first, affected individuals will generally experience most of the symptoms as the disease progresses. Specifically, symptoms that include difficulty swallowing, moving, forming words, tight muscles, spasticity, and/or exaggerated reflexes occur when the upper motor neurons have been damaged. When lower motor neurons are damaged, symptoms such as muscle weakness, atrophy, cramping, and twitching will occur. In some cases, a few of the muscle neurons that

Encephalitis is a condition caused by viruses which cause the brain to become inflamed. There are two types of encephalitis one is called primary because the viruses affect the brain itself. Secondary is the viruses travel from some other part of the body that has been affect to the brain. When the virus reaches the brain it begins to multiply causing inflammation. The brain’s white matter can be destroyed. This destruction causes cell death, hemorrhage and edema. The edema begins to compress the blood vessels this causes intracranial pressure (Mayo Clinic, 2011).