Facts you should know about Guillain-Barré syndrome Most people reach the greatest stage of weakness within the first 2 weeks after Guillain-Barré syndrome symptoms appear; by the third week, 90% of affected individuals are at their weakest. *Guillain-Barré facts medically edited by Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) occurs when the immune system attacks...
Dystonia facts* Readers Comments 6 Share Your Story *Dystonia facts medically edited by: Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD Dystonia is a disorder of muscle control; it can cause slow repetitive movements, abnormal postures and/or tremors of the musculature that are uncontrollable by the patient. The symptoms of dystonia may include foot cramps, turning or dragging...
What Are the Treatments for Epilepsy? The majority of epileptic seizures are controlled through drug therapy, particularly anticonvulsant drugs. The type of treatment prescribed will depend on several factors including the frequency and severity of the seizures as well as the person’s age, overall health, and medical history. An accurate diagnosis of the type of...
Epilepsy facts* *Epilepsy Facts by John P. Cunha, DO, FACOE Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which clusters of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain sometimes signal abnormally causing strange sensations, emotions, and behavior, or sometimes convulsions, muscle spasms, and loss of consciousness. Epilepsy is not contagious and is not caused by mental illness...
Frontotemporal dementia facts* *Frontotemporal dementia facts medical author: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR Frontotemporal dementia symptoms include behavior changes or language problems. Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a syndrome featuring shrinking of the frontal and temporal anterior lobes of the brain. Pick's disease and semantic dementia are forms of frontotemporal dementia. The symptoms of frontotemporal...
Uncontrollable shaking is a feature of seizures, but not all seizures are accompanied by convulsions. Seizures can produce confusion without a physical reaction. Seizure and convulsion are two medical terms that are often confused with one another. Most people use these two terms interchangeably without knowing which is which. Not all seizures are characterized by...
What Is Multiple Subpial Transection? Sometimes brain seizures begin in a vital area of the brain — for example, in areas that control movement, feeling, language, or memory. When this is the case, a relatively new epilepsy treatment called multiple subpial transection (MST) may be an option. MST stops the seizure impulses by cutting nerve...
What were your first signs and symptoms of a brain tumor? First signs and symptoms of a brain tumor may be severe headaches and seizures. The symptoms of a tumor depend on how big it is and where it is in the brain. Some slow-growing tumors may not cause any symptoms at first. Eventually, the...
What are Bell’s palsy and stroke? Bell's palsy and stroke are medical conditions that start in the brain. Bell's palsy causes temporary paralysis of facial muscles while stroke is caused by a blood clot or ruptured blood vessel in the brain. Bell's palsy and strokes are two medical conditions that start in the brain. To...
Encephalopathy facts Hepatic encephalopathy can occur when your liver stops filtering toxins from your blood. The causes of encephalopathy are numerous and varied; they include infections, anoxia, metabolic problems, toxins, drugs, physiologic changes, trauma, and other causes. Encephalopathy is a general term that means brain disease, damage, or malfunction. The major symptom of encephalopathy is...