DISORDERS

• Alzheimer's disease - a condition characterized by diminished mental capabilities, including memory loss, anxiety, and confusion
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease) - a disorder of the motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord that causes skeletal and muscular weakness
• Bell's palsy - inflammation of a facial nerve that causes paralysis and numbness of the face
• Cerebral palsy - a condition associated with birth defects, marked by partial paralysis and poor muscle coordination
• Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) - stroke, which can be caused by a cerebral hemorrhage; decreased flow of blood to the brain causes destruction of the brain tissue
• Encephalitis - inflammation of the brain caused by a virus; symptoms are lethargy, stiff neck, or convulsions
• Hydrocephalus - abnormal accumulation of CSF in the ventricles of the brain caused by an obstruction or poor absorption of the fluid
• Meningitis - inflammation of the membranes of the brain or spinal cord caused by a variety of microorganisms
• Multiple sclerosis (MS) - a chronic degenerative disease of the CNS that destroys the myelin sheath of the brain and spinal cord
• Myelitis - inflammation of the spinal cord
• Neuralgia - pain of the nerves
• Neuritis - inflammation of the nerves associated with a degenerative process
• Parkinson's disease - chronic disease of the nervous system, characterized by muscle tremors, muscle weakness, and loss of equilibrium
• Reye's syndrome - an acute disease that causes edema of the brain and fatty infiltration of the liver and other organs
• Shingles (herpes zoster) - an acute viral disease caused by varicella zoster (chickenpox), which can remain dormant in the body in the form of herpes blisters along a peripheral nerve