Chiari Malformation Research Paper

There are three different types of musculoskeletal disorders that effect the spinal column: Lordosis, Kyphosis, and Scoliosis. Scoliosis effects the largest amount of people and also effects the widest range of ages. There are three different types of scoliosis and they are categorized by the age at which the deformity developed. Infantile scoliosis develops from birth to 4 years old, juvenile scoliosis develops from 4 to 9 years old, and adolescent scoliosis develops from 10 to 18 years. Scoliosis is most commonly developed in the adolescent stage, it compromises approximately 80 percent of all scoliosis cases (Baaj, 2017). Any

infants are born weighing less the average newborn and are shorter in length. The central nervous

Anencephaly is a congenital birth defect and is characterized by the absence of the prosencephalon (fore-brain), cerebrum, cerebellum, and cranium. Part of the brain-stem is usually present. The head usually stops just above the eyebrows and slopes backwards. Since the head stops so suddenly, many babies appear to have bulging eyes. Some are born with cyclopia, the presence of only one eye centered in the middle of the forehead.

Spina Bifida literally means “split spine”. It is the most common permanent disabling birth defect in the United States. It happens when the brain, spinal cord do not completely develop. It is the most common neural tube defect in the United States- affecting 1500 to 2000 of more than four million babies in each year. An estimate shows 166,000 individual lives with Spina Bifida in the United States. I choose this disorder because many people do not about the effects, causes, symptoms and treatments about the disorder and I wanted to know more about spina bifida.

According to the site Chiari Malformation, “Chiari Malformation is a structured defect in the brain and spinal cord. This happens sometimes during fetal development and is called congenital Chiari Malformation”(Chiari Malformation). Some Chiari can occur later in life when excessive amount of cerebrospinal fluid is drained away due to injury infection and exposure to toxic substances(Chiari Malformation). This is called secondary Chiari Malformation(Tamiz 1). He also said “Chiari is caused by poor diet. The indented bony space at the back of the skull is abnormally small. As results this will build up pressure on the

When I was younger, I would get frequent headaches, which felt like knives going through my skull to say the least. As I got progressively older, the symptoms would get worse until even the slightest inconvenience, such as coughing, would render me paralyzed for several minutes because of the immense pain felt at the back of my head. In May 2013, I would finally be diagnosed with Chiari Malformation. Chiari, in simple terms, is a brain disorder in which the brain is too large for the skull, so the brain hangs over into the spine. This causes

Chiari malformation is defined as a series of malformations of the cerebellum and the skull. This is the result of many things, one is theorized to be premature births of infants.There are many other possible causes for this.Another is Hydrocephalus, or “water on the brain”, which is in reality an excess of cerebrospinal fluid, CSF around the skull. The history of this dates back to 1891, an Austrian pathologists by the name of Hans Chiari found a malformation of the brain. Doctor Chiari found the types I,III,and IV. He characterized the definition of the disorder as “ A series of malformations of the cerebellum/hindbrain and skull”. Years later, one of Chiari’s students Julius Arnold, expanded on the ideas Chiari had found. Chiari is named for both Hans Chiari and Julius Arnold.

Craniosynostosis is a birth diseases that may or may not need surgery. Many doctors can’t see is is the baby has craniosynostosis when the baby is in the stomach. Sometimes they can’t even tell if that baby has it or not so they would do a cat scan to see if the baby does. If the craniosynostosis is mild then the baby might not need surgery. Also sometimes the doctors can’t tell until they do a physical on the baby.

It could be very mild and be solved with therapy, or there are some extreme cases that need surgery as soon as the child is born. Spina Bifida is another common structural defect that is very serious and it messes with spine. There is a three different types of spina bifida; the first type is Myelomeningocele which is where the baby 's spine doesn’t completely close. “With this condition, a sac of fluid comes through an opening in the baby’s back. Part of the spinal cord and nerves are in this sac and are damaged. This type of spina bifida causes moderate to severe disabilities.” (CDC) The next type is meningocele this has some similarities to the first type with the sac but with this the spine isn’t in the sac, this type will only have some minor disabilities. The final type is Spina Bifida Occulta which is the more mild out of the three. This is where there is only a small gap in the baby’s back with no sac. This is harder to find in infants usually is isn’t even discovered until people are young adults, not many disabilities are caused by this type. There is not only common structural defects, but also developmental or functional defects. A well known type that affects the nervous system is Down Syndrome. This is when people either have an extra piece on a chromosome or they have a whole extra chromosome number 21. “It is the most common chromosomal cause of mild to moderate intellectual disabilities. People

The signs of scoliosis can result in the following: An uneven musculature on one side of the spine. A rib prominence or a prominent shoulder blade, caused by rotation of the ribcage in thoracic scoliosis. Uneven hips, arms or leg lengths as well as slow nerve action (in some cases). People whom have reached skeletal maturity are less likely to have a worsening case. Some severe cases of scoliosis can lead to diminishing lung capacity, putting pressure on the heart, and restricting physical

All three of these types can trace their origins to the limitation that the mutation in the CHN1 creates. Once the mutation causes the a2-chimaerin protein to not function as it should, it causes the cranial nerves to either go missing or become so unstable that the nerves that they control will not be responsive.

Hydrocephalus is when CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) builds up in the brain, causing increased pressure in the brain. The pressure can cause mental defects and possibly a misshapen skull. Hydrocephalus can occur with any other type of Chiari but it is most often seen with Type II. Severe Hydrocephalus can be fatal if left untreated. Spina Bifida occurs when the spinal cord is either incomplete or underdeveloped. Spina Bifida is most commonly associated with Type II. Syringomyelia is a buildup of CSF, which forms a synix, or a fluid cavity. The growing synix destroys the spinal cord which results in pain and weakness. Other symptoms include, stiffness in the back and shoulders, and loss of extreme feelings of cold and hot. Tethered cord syndrome is another syndrome related to Chiari.Tethered cord syndrome is the attachment of the spinal cord to spine. This disorder can cause permanent damage to the lower bodies muscles and nerves. Spinal curvature is commonly associated with type I Chiari. It is seen most commonly with children whose spine is underdeveloped. According to Conquer Chiari, 60-70% of Chiarians struggle with sleep apnea. A person with sleep apnea stops breathing in their sleep and then wakes up breathing again. Decompression surgery decreases sleep apnea occurrences by 90%. According to The National Organization

The Chimera, a classic Greek Monster, first arose from the story The Iliad, by Homer in 800 B.C.. Homer described the great beast briefly as, “A thing of immortal make, not human, lion-fronted and snake behind, a goat in the middle, and sporting out the breath of the terrible flame of bright fire. (Homer)” Chimera is generally considered to be female through the tales she makes appearances in; additionally, scientists have taken a more logical approach to why this assumption was made by looking at illustrations made of the monster to determine male or female characteristics in the lion, like a mane and ear shape. Although there are different genealogies, multiple versions link the Chimera to the well known myth of the Sphinx. Many people feared

Congenital anomalies – Are there any congenital anomalies present affecting the vertebrae and/or spinal cord?

Scoliosis is a complex deformity or curvature of the spine and entire torso and has been recognized clinically for centuries (Asher, Marc A.). “For a few of the patients an underlying cause can be determined, including congenital changes, secondary changes related to neuropathic or myopathic conditions, or later in life from degenerative spondylosis. However, the cause of most scoliosis is not known and since about 1922 such patients have been diagnosed as having idiopathic scoliosis (Asher, Marc A.).”