The link between the brain and the immune system
The brain is the central information-processing organ of the body. It innervates the head through cranial nerves, and it communicates with the spinal cord, which innervates the body through spinal nerves. Nervous fibers transmitting signals from the brain are called efferent fibers. The fibers transmitting signals to the brain are called afferent (or sensory) fibers. Nerves can be afferent, efferent or mixed (i.e., containing both types of fibers). The brain is the site of reason and intelligence, which include such components as cognition, perception, attention, memory and emotion. The brain is also responsible for control of posture and movements. It makes possible cognitive, motor and other forms of learning. The brain can perform a variety of functions automatically, without the need for conscious awareness, such as coordination of sensory systems (eg. sensory gating and multisensory integration), walking, and homeostatic body functions such as blood pressure, fluid balance, and body temperature. The Cerebellum, controls balance and movement. Without it, movements would be not be coordinated. Many functions are controlled by coordinated activity of the brain and spinal cord. Moreover, some behaviors such as simple reflexes and basic locomotion, can be executed under spinal cord control alone.
Neurons are electrically active brain cells that process information, whereas Glial cells perform supporting function. In addition to being electrically active, neurons constantly synthesize neurotransmitters. Neurons modify their properties (guided by gene expression) under the influence of their input signals. This plasticity underlies learning and adaptation. It is notable that some unused neuron pathways (constructions which have become physically isolated from other cells) may continue to exist long after the memory is absent from consciousness, possibly developing the subconscious. The study of the brain is known as neuroscience, a field of biology aimed at understanding the functions of the brain at every level, from the molecular up to the psychological. There is also a branch of psychology that deals with the anatomy and physiology of the brain, known as biological psychology. This field of study focuses on each individual part of the brain and how it affects behavior.
CLICK HERE FOR PRODUCT VIEWING Sleep is important to the nervous system and the brainThe brain undergoes transitions from wakefulness to sleep (and subtypes of these states). These state transitions are crucially important for proper brain functioning. (For example, it is believed that sleep is important for knowledge consolidation, as the neurons appear to organize the day's stimuli during deep sleep by randomly firing off the most recently used neuron pathways; additionally, without sleep, normal subjects are observed to develop symptoms resembling mental illness, even auditory hallucinations). Every brain state is associated with characteristic brain waves.Scientists have shown numerous ways in which sleep is related to memory. In a study conducted by Turner, Drummond, Salamat, and Brown working memory was shown to be affected by sleep deprivation. Working memory is important because it keeps information active for further processing and supports higher-level cognitive functions such as decision making, reasoning, and episodic memory. Turner et al. allowed 18 women and 22 men to sleep only 26 minutes per night over a 4-day period. Subjects were given initial cognitive tests while well rested and then tested again twice a day during the 4 days of sleep deprivation. On the final test the average working memory span of the sleep deprived group had dropped by 38% in comparison to the control group. This demonstrates that there is clearly a connection between sleep and memory. EXPLORE THE BENEFITS OF A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEPNerve regenerationNervous system injuries affect over 90,000 people every year, though function recovery is not guaranteed in most cases. It is estimated that spinal cord injuries alone reach 10,000 each year. As a result of this high incidence of nervous system injuries, nerve regeneration and repair, a subfield of neural tissue engineering, is becoming a rapidly growing field dedicated to the discovery of new ways to recover nerve functionality after injury. The nervous system is divided into two parts: the central nervous system, which consists of the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system, which consists of cranial and spinal nerves along with their associated ganglia. While the peripheral nervous system has an intrinsic ability for repair and regeneration, the central nervous system is for the most part incapable of self-repair and regeneration. There is currently no treatment for recovering human nerve function after injury to the central nervous system. In addition, multiple attempts at nerve re-growth across the PNS-CNS transition have not been successful. There is simply not enough knowledge yet about regeneration in the central nervous system. And although the peripheral nervous system has the capability for regeneration, much research still needs to be done to optimize the environment for maximum regrowth potential. The links between stress and the nervous systemCentral Nervous System Regeneration
Unlike peripheral nervous system injury, injury to the central nervous system is not followed by extensive regeneration. It is limited by the inhibitory influences of the glial and extracellular environment. The hostile, non-permissible growth environment is in part created by the migration of myelin-associated inhibitors, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, oligodendrocyte precursors, and microglia. Slower degeneration of the distal segment than that which occurs in the peripheral nervous system also contributes to the inhibitory environment because inhibitory myelin and axonal debris are not cleared away as quickly. All these factors contribute to the formation of what is known as a glial scar, which axons cannot grow across. The proximal segment attempts to regenerate after injury, but its growth is hindered by the environment. It is important to note that central nervous system axons have been proven to regrow in permissible environments; therefore, the primary problem to central nervous system axonal regeneration is crossing or eliminating the inhibitory lesion site. CLICK HERE FOR PRODUCT INFORMATION Alzheimer ' s disease
An article in a 1994 issue of Progress in Drug Research reported that Alzheimer’s disease might be linked to an abnormal antibody response to a portion of nerve cells in the brain. This immune malfunction may destroy brain tissue associated with memory. Alzheimer's disease (AD), also called Alzheimer disease or simply Alzheimer's, is the most common cause of dementia, afflicting 24 million people worldwide. Alzheimer's is a degenerative and terminal disease for which there is currently no known cure. In its most common form, it occurs in people over 65 years old although a less-prevalent early-onset form also exists.The disease can begin many years before it is eventually diagnosed. In its early stages, short-term memory loss is the most common symptom, often initially thought to be caused by aging or stress by the sufferer. Later symptoms include confusion, anger, mood swings, language breakdown, long-term memory loss, and the general withdrawal of the sufferer as his or her senses decline.Gradually the sufferer loses minor, and then major bodily functions, until death occurs.Although the symptoms are common, each individual experiences the symptoms in unique ways.The duration of the disease is estimated as being between 5 and 20 years. The symptoms of Alzheimer's disease are generally reported to a physician when memory-loss causes concern, and on suspecting Alzheimer’s disease, the physician or healthcare specialists will confirm the diagnosis with a behavioral assessment and cognitive tests, often followed by a brain scan. The cause and progression of Alzheimer's disease is not well understood, but is associated with plaques and tangles in the brain.Possible causes and potential cures of the disease have been conjectured, with varying evidence supporting each claim. No treatment has been found to stop or reverse the disease, and it is not known whether current treatments slow the progression, or simply manage the symptoms. Many preventative measures have been suggested for Alzheimer's disease, but their value is often uncertain: mental stimulation, exercise and a balanced diet are usually recommended, both as a possible prevention and as a sensible way of managing the disease.Approximately 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's. And millions more who love them are affected by it. Alzheimer's is a form of dementia that slowly steals their memories by causing the brain's nerve cells to die in areas that are vital to memory and mental abilities. The cause of Alzheimer's is not yet known. For most people, Alzheimer's begins after age 60. Although less common, it can occur at younger ages. There is currently no cure. But there are treatments that can help slow the progression of symptoms and provide benefits for people with Alzheimer's. By having a doctor diagnose the disease early, when you first start noticing symptoms, you can get your loved one the help they need. Due to the incurable and degenerative nature of the disease care-management of Alzheimer's is essential. The role of the main caregiver is often taken by the spouse or a close relative.Caregivers may themselves suffer from stress, over-work, depression, and being physically hit or struck.
Signs and symptoms to watch for
Problems doing simple tasks, such as getting dressed Problems talking with others Trouble with knowing the time, date, or place Poor judgment, such as going out in the cold without a coat Trouble solving problems Losing things, such as keys, more than usual Changes in mood and behavior
Early dementia In 1994 United States ex-president R. Reagan informed via a hand-written letter of his diagnosis of AD. In this letter, partly shown in picture, clear signs of the disease can be recognised.In most people with the disease the increasing impairments in learning and memory will lead to diagnosis, while in a small proportion of them language, executive or visuoconstructional difficulties will be more salient. Nevertheless memory problems do not affect all memory subcapacities equally. Older memories of the patient's life (episodic memory), facts learned (declarative memory), and implicit memory (the memory of the body on how to do things, such as using a knife to eat) are affected to a much lesser degree than the capacities needed to learn new facts or make new memories.Language problems are mainly characterized by a shrinking vocabulary and a decreased word fluency which leads to a general impoverishment of oral and written language. The Alzheimer's patient is usually capable of adequately communicating basic ideas.While performing fine motor tasks such as writing, drawing or dressing, certain visoconstructional difficulties, or apraxia, may be present, which may appear as clumsiness.As the disease progresses to the middle stage, patients might still be able to live and perform tasks independently for most of the time, but may need assistance or supervision with the most complicated activities. RAISE YOUR BODIES DEFENSES
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