AUTISM

MEANING:
-Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social
interaction, impaired verbal and non-verbal communication, and restricted and
repetitive behavior.
CAUSES
-most cases involve a complex and variable combination of genetic risk and
environmental factors that influence early brain development
-the presence of a genetic predisposition to autism, a number of non-genetic or
environmental influences further increase a child’s risk.
SYMPTOMS
 Impairments in social interaction
-suffer from more intense and frequent loneliness
- they have less eye contact and turn-taking
- do not have the ability to use simple movements to express themselves
-aggressive and violence in individuals
-destruction of property
-tantrums
 Impairments in communication
-do not develop enough natural speech
-communicate nonverbally
-delayed onset of babbling
- unusual gestures
-diminished responsiveness
-vocal patterns that are not synchronized with the caregiver
 Restricted interests and repetitive behavior

 Stereotyped behaviors: Repetitive movements, such as hand flapping, head

rolling, or body rocking.
 Compulsive behaviors: Time-consuming behaviors intended to reduce anxiety
that an individual feels compelled to perform repeatedly or according to rigid
 rules, such as placing objects in a specific order, checking things, or hand
washing.
 Sameness: Resistance to change; for example, insisting that the furniture not
be moved or refusing to be interrupted.
 Ritualistic behavior: Unvarying pattern of daily activities, such as an
unchanging menu or a dressing ritual. This is closely associated with sameness
and an independent validation has suggested combining the two factors.
 Restricted interests: Interests or fixations that are abnormal in theme or
intensity of focus, such as preoccupation with a single television program, toy, or
game.
 Self-injury: Behaviors such as eye-poking, skin-picking, hand-biting and
head-banging.

PREVENTION

 MANAGEMENT

-The main goals when treating children with autism are to lessen associated
deficits and family distress, and to increase quality of life and functional
independence.

 EDUCATION

-Similarly, teacher-implemented intervention that utilizes an ABA combined with

a developmental social pragmatic approach has been found to be a well-established
treatment in improving social-communication skills in young children, although there
is less evidence in its treatment of global symptoms.

 MEDICATION

-Many medications are used to treat ASD symptoms that interfere with
integrating a child into home or school when behavioral treatment fails.[

-Antipsychotics, such as risperidone and aripiprazole, have been found to be

useful for treating irritability, repetitive behavior, and sleeplessness that often
occurs with autism, however their side effects must be weighed against their
potential benefits, and people with autism may respond atypically.

Arachnoid cysts
MEANING:

-Arachnoid cysts are cerebrospinal fluid covered by arachnoidal cells

and collagen that may develop between the surface of the brain and the cranial base
or on the arachnoid membrane, one of the 3 meningeal layers that cover the brain
and the spinal cord.

-Arachnoid cysts are a congenital disorder, and most cases begin during infancy;
however, onset may be delayed until adolescence.
CAUSES
-The exact cause of arachnoid cysts is not known
- Researchers believe that most cases of arachnoid cysts are developmental
malformations that arise from the unexplained splitting or tearing of the arachnoid
membrane.
-Some complications of arachnoid cysts can occur when a cyst is damaged
because of minor head trauma.
-Arachnoid cysts can also occur secondary to other disorders such as Marfan
syndrome, arachnoiditis, or agenesis of the corpus callosum

SYMPTOMS

 Cranial deformation or macrocephaly (enlargement of the head), particularly

in children.
 Cysts in the suprasellar region in children have presented as bobbing and
nodding of the head called bobble-head doll syndrome.
 Cysts in the left middle cranial fossa have been associated with ADHD in a
study on affected children.
 Headaches. A patient experiencing a headache does not necessarily have an
arachnoid cyst.
 Seizures
 Hydrocephalus (excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid)
 Increased intracranial pressure
 Developmental delay
 Behavioral changes
 Nausea
 Hemiparesis (weakness or paralysis on one side of the body)
 Ataxia (lack of muscle control)
 Musical hallucination
 Pre-senile dementia, a condition often associated with Alzheimer's disease
 Dementia

PREVENTION

 Surgical placement of a cerebral shunt:

 An internal shunt drains into the subdural compartment.

 A cystoperitoneal shunt drains to the peritoneal cavity.

 Fenestration:

 Craniotomy with excision

 Various endoscopic techniques are proving effective, including
laser-assisted techniques.

 Drainage by needle aspiration or burr hole.

 Capsular resection
 Pharmacological treatments may address specific symptoms such as seizures or
pain.

Epilepsy

MEANING
-Epilepsy is a group of neurological disorders characterized by epileptic seizures
-can result in physical injuries including occasionally broken bones. In epilepsy,
seizures tend to recur and as a rule, have no immediate underlying cause
-people with epilepsy in some areas of the world experience stigma due to the
condition.
CAUSES
 -Some cases occur as the result of brain injury, stroke, brain tumors, infections
of the brain, and birth defects, through a process known as epileptogenesis
-Known genetic mutations are directly linked to a small proportion of cases.
-Some epilepsies are due to a single gene defect (1–2%); most are due to the
interaction of multiple genes and environmental factors.
SYMPTOMS
 Seizures
-non-consciously-generated activities
-mostly simple repetitive movements like smacking of the lips or more complex
activities such as attempts to pick up something.
 Postictal
-feeling tired
-headache
-difficulty speaking
- abnormal behavior.

 Psychosocial
- depression
-anxiety
-obsessive–compulsive disorder(OCD)
- migraine.
PREVENTION
 MEDICATION
-The mainstay treatment of epilepsy is anticonvulsant medications, possibly for
the person's entire life.[
 FIRST AID
-Rolling a person with an active tonic-clonic seizure onto their side and into
the recovery position helps prevent fluids from getting into the lungs.
-Putting fingers, a bite block or tongue depressor in the mouth is not
recommended as it might make the person vomit or result in the rescuer being
bitten.
 SURGERY
-Epilepsy surgery may be an option for people with focal seizures that remain a
problem despite other treatments
 -The goal of surgery is total control of seizures and this may be achieved in 60–
70% of cases.

 Diet
-A ketogenic diet (high-fat, low-carbohydrate, adequate-protein) appears to
decrease the number of seizures and eliminate seizures in some, however further
research is necessary

CATALEPSY
MEANING
- is a nervous condition characterized by muscular rigidity and fixity
of posture regardless of external stimuli, as well as decreased sensitivity to pain.
CAUSES
-Catalepsy is a symptom of certain nervous disorders or conditions such
as Parkinson's disease and epilepsy
-cocaine withdrawal
- It can be caused by schizophrenia treatment with anti-psychotics, such
as haloperidol
-anesthetic ketamine
SYMPTOMS
- rigid body
-rigid limbs
-limbs staying in same position when moved (waxy flexibility)
-no response
-loss of muscle control
-slowing down of bodily functions, such as breathing.