Nervous System

Question 1

nervous system

Answer 1

• co ordinates all activities inside and outside the body
• entire body covered with fibres called nerves
• over 100 billion nerve cells in body called neurons

Question 2

3 divisions of the nervous system

Answer 2

1. Central Nervous System
2. Peripheral Nervous System (outer)
3. Autonomic Nervous System

Question 3

two divisions of autonomic nervous system

Answer 3

Sympathetic division: stimulates or speeds up activity and prepares the body for stressful situations

Parasympathetic division: operates under normal, non-stressful conditions and helps restore & slow down activity, thus keeping the body in balance

Question 4

central nervous system

Answer 4

• brain, spinal cord, spinal nerves and cranial nerves
• controls consciousness, mental activities, voluntary functions of the 5 senses, and voluntary muscle actions including all body movement and facial expressions

Question 5

peripheral (outer) nervous system

Answer 5

• connects outer part of the body to the central nervous system
• has sensory & motor nerves
• carries impulses to and from the central nervous system

Question 6

autonomic nervous system

Answer 6

• controls involuntary muscle

- regulates smooth muscles, glands, blood vessels, the heart and breathing

Question 7

brain

Answer 7

• largest and most complex nerve tissue in the body
• contained in the cranium
• controls sensation, muscles, glands, thinking and feeling
• sends telegraphic images through 12 pairs of cranial nerves

Question 8

spinal cord

Answer 8

• originates in the brain and travels down the trunk, protected by the spinal column
• 31 pairs of nerves exit the spinal cord and supply the body

Question 9

neuron

Answer 9

• nerve cell, the primary structural unit of the nervous system
• composed of cell body, nucleus, dendrites and an axon

dendrites: receive info from other neurons
axons: send messages away from the cell body to other neurons, glands, muscles and organs

Question 10

nerves

Answer 10

• whitish cords made up of bundles of nerve fibers held together by connective tissue
• originate in the brain and spinal cord and branch off in all parts of the body
• transmit impulses

Question 11

what are the 2 types of nerves?

Answer 11

• sensory/afferent

- motor/efferent

Question 12

sensory nerves

Answer 12

afferent
-carry impulses from the sense organs to the brain, where sensation is experiences

-sensory nerve endings (receptors) are located close to the surface of the skin

Question 13

motor nerves

Answer 13

efferent

-carry impulses from the brain to the muscles or glands to produce movement or secretion

Question 14

reflex

Answer 14

an automatic nerve reaction to a stimulus that involves the movement of impulses from a sensory receptor along the afferent neuron to a muscle, causing a reaction

Question 15

alzheimer’s

Answer 15

• pathology of the brain caused by atrophy of areas of the brain
• characterized by gradual and insidious progression of symptoms like confusion, memory failure, restlessness, and speech disturbances
• a client with Alzheimer’s may require a family member/advocate to help them understand the service being provided and to give consent on their behalf

Question 16

epilepsy

Answer 16

• results from abnormal and irregular discharges of electrical activity in the brain
• individuals with epilepsy may experience sensory disturbances, seizures, abnormal behaviour and loss of consciousness

Question 17

absence seizures

Answer 17

brief periods of unconsciousness, no convulsions

Question 18

partial/focal seizures

Answer 18

no loss of consciousness, the person may exhibit abnormal behaviour like walking around in circless

Question 19

tonic-clonic seizures

Answer 19

the person loses consciousness, drops to the floor and experiences convulsions

*often preceded by warning signs that the person is familiar with

Question 20

clinical depression

Answer 20

• linked to decreased levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine
• may be unipolar or bipolar (manic-depressive)

SAD: seasonal affective disorder, linked to lack of sunlight in the winter months

Question 21

schizophrenia

Answer 21

chronic brain disorder where the person may experience delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, trouble thinking and a lack of motivation

Question 22

panic disorder

Answer 22

anxiety disorder characterized by a feeling of intense fear with an increased heartrate, difficulty or increased breathing, and perspiration

Question 23

obsessive-compulsive disorder `

Answer 23

characterized by a series of obsessions and compulsions that are extremely distressing to the sufferer and interfere with their day-to-day lives

Question 24

anorexia nervosa

Answer 24

eating disorder characterized by an intense fear of weight gain that becomes an obsession with severely restricted food intake and excessive physical exercise

Question 25

bulimia

Answer 25

eating disorder that consists of binge eating followed by self-induced vomiting or abuse of laxatives

Question 26

multiple sclerosis

Answer 26

pathology of the central nervous system in which the myelin covering of the nerves in the brain, spinal cord and optic nerve are affected, causing symptoms relative to the location of the demyelination

symptoms: visual changes, numbness and spasticity of muscles, changes in gait/inability to walk, fatigue and speech disturbances
- some people have lengthy periods of remission and the disease may progress rapidly or slowly

Question 27

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

Answer 27

AKA Lou Gehrig’s disease

• neurological disorder of the central nervous system that affects motor function
  symptoms: weakness, spasticity or stiffness of muscles and impaired fine motor control, difficulty swallowing, speaking or breathing

Question 28

spinal cord injury

Answer 28

-can be complete or incomplete, resulting in complete loss of movement or sensation or partial paralysis

Question 29

cerebral palsy

Answer 29

a group of motor disorders of the central nervous system resulting in muscular incoordination and loss of muscle control caused by damage to the brain’s motor areas during fetal life, birth or infancy

*not progressive but the damage is irreversible

Question 30

parkinson’s disease

Answer 30

a progressive, degenerative neurological disorder marked by the destruction of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain

symptoms: muscles may alternately contract and relax causing tremor, or be rigid. difficulty initiating movement, difficulty walking