Learn more. The nervous system is a complex, sophisticated system that regulates and coordinates body activities. It is made up of two major divisions, including the following:. Peripheral nervous system. This consists of all other neural elements, including the peripheral nerves and the autonomic nerves. In addition to the brain and spinal cord, principal organs of the nervous system include the following:. Vascular disorders , such as stroke, transient ischemic attack TIA , subarachnoid hemorrhage, subdural hemorrhage and hematoma, and extradural hemorrhage.
Degeneration , such as Parkinson disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ALS , Huntington chorea, and Alzheimer disease.
The following are the most common general signs and symptoms of a nervous system disorder. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:. The symptoms of a nervous system disorder may look like other medical conditions or problems.
Always see your healthcare provider for a diagnosis. The best way to manage nervous system disorders is with the help of a team of healthcare providers. You may not need all members of the team at any given time.
But it's good to know who they are and how they can help. It also controls our breathing, heart rate, the release of some hormones, body temperature, and much more. The retina, optic nerve, olfactory nerves, and olfactory epithelium are sometimes considered to be part of the CNS alongside the brain and spinal cord.
This is because they connect directly with brain tissue without intermediate nerve fibers. The brain is the most complex organ in the human body; the cerebral cortex the outermost part of the brain and the largest part by volume contains an estimated 15—33 billion neurons, each of which is connected to thousands of other neurons.
In total, around billion neurons and 1, billion glial support cells make up the human brain. The brain is the central control module of the body and coordinates activity. From physical motion to the secretion of hormones, the creation of memories, and the sensation of emotion. To carry out these functions, some sections of the brain have dedicated roles. However, many higher functions — reasoning, problem-solving, creativity — involve different areas working together in networks.
Temporal lobe green : important for processing sensory input and assigning it emotional meaning. It is also involved in laying down long-term memories. Some aspects of language perception are also housed here. Occipital lobe purple : visual processing region of the brain, housing the visual cortex.
Parietal lobe yellow : the parietal lobe integrates sensory information including touch, spatial awareness, and navigation. Touch stimulation from the skin is ultimately sent to the parietal lobe. It also plays a part in language processing.
Frontal lobe pink : positioned at the front of the brain, the frontal lobe contains the majority of dopamine-sensitive neurons and is involved in attention, reward, short-term memory, motivation, and planning. Basal ganglia: involved in the control of voluntary motor movements, procedural learning, and decisions about which motor activities to carry out. Cerebellum: mostly involved in precise motor control, but also in language and attention. If the cerebellum is damaged, the primary symptom is disrupted motor control, known as ataxia.
When damaged, an individual finds it difficult to speak but can still understand speech. Corpus callosum: a broad band of nerve fibers that join the left and right hemispheres.
It is the largest white matter structure in the brain and allows the two hemispheres to communicate. Dyslexic children have smaller corpus callosums; left-handed people, ambidextrous people, and musicians typically have larger ones.
Medulla oblongata: extending below the skull, it is involved in involuntary functions, such as vomiting, breathing, sneezing, and maintaining the correct blood pressure. Hypothalamus: sitting just above the brain stem and roughly the size of an almond, the hypothalamus secretes a number of neurohormones and influences body temperature control, thirst, and hunger. Thalamus: positioned in the center of the brain, the thalamus receives sensory and motor input and relays it to the rest of the cerebral cortex.
It is involved in the regulation of consciousness, sleep, awareness, and alertness. Amygdala: two almond-shaped nuclei deep within the temporal lobe. They are involved in decision-making, memory, and emotional responses; particularly negative emotions. The spinal cord, running almost the full length of the back, carries information between the brain and body, but also carries out other tasks.
Along its length, it connects with the nerves of the peripheral nervous system PNS that run in from the skin, muscles, and joints. When meningitis occurs on its own, pain, stiffness of the gait, reluctance to move the neck and hunched-up back are the most common signs. Fever is only seen in less than half of the cases and its absence can therefore not be used to discard the possibility of meningitis. Encephalitis and myelitis are associated with signs of neurological disorders in dogs and cats reflecting which part of the nervous system is inflamed.
Contrary to common belief, even the most severe neurological disorders in dogs, such as meningitis or encephalitis, may not show up in blood tests. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis see fact sheet collection is probably one of the most useful tests. Not only this can help to confirm the presence and type of inflammation, but important tests can be carried out to look for an infection.
On rare occasions, cerebrospinal fluid can be normal despite the presence of an inflammatory CNS disease. In the case of an infectious cause, treatment consists mainly of antibiotics, with the exception of fungal and viral causes. A high dose of corticosteroids prednisolone is the mainstay treatment. Other drugs such as azathioprine, cytarabine, mycophenolate, cyclosporin, cyclophosphamide can also be used in combination with corticosteroids.
The short-term aim of the treatment is to return the animal to normal using a high dose of medication.
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