The most extreme form of developmental malformation of the corpus callosum is agenesis (Paul, 2007). Agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC), which includes not only partial but complete absence of the callosal (Paul, 2011). This occurs due to the disruption of the early stages of the fetal callosal development. This abnormality can be diagnosed in the current ages as visualized through the advanced methods of neuroimaging, MRI or CT scan.
As we know, agnosia is something that caused by brain damage. It can happen with other neurological disorders and in fact, it can be sign that the patient is experiencing a neur...
Tay-Sachs disease is a rare and fatal genetic disorder that destroys neurons in the brain and spinal cord. The disease appears in three forms, Juvenile Onset, Late Onset (known as LOTS), and the most common form, Infantile (also known as Classic). The differences between the three forms of the disease are related to the age at which the symptoms of the disease begin to form. Tay-Sachs results from a deficiency of the enzyme hexosaminidase A, which plays a vital role in removing a fatty substance, called GM2 gangliosides, from neurons.
Involved in the emotional reaction to pain rather than to the perception of pain itself.
Peterson-Iyer, Karen. "Confronting a Fetal Abnormality." http://www.scu.edu. Santa Clara University, Jan. 2008. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. .
The fetus in utero may show signs of slow growth and organs may not develop correctly. After birth there can be physical defects evidenced by a smooth skin surface between upper lip and nose, the nose may be upturned, wide set eyes and an extremely thin upper lip. The head may be small in circumference and brain size, deformities of the joints, vision and hearing problems, heart defects and problems with bones and kidneys. There may be problems with the central nervous system and brain, including poor memory and judgement, learning disorders, delayed development, poor coordination and/or balance and hyperactivity or jitteriness, and mood swings. Children born with FAS may have difficulty is school, have poor social skills, have trouble adapting to change, lack impulse control, unable to stay on task and find it hard to plan or work towards a goal. The severity and negative effects range from subtle to serious, they are always
According to the Encyclopædia Britannica (2014), a neural tube defect is “any congenital defect of the brain and spinal cord as a result of abnormal development of the neural tube.” This birth defect is “the most common congenital defect of the central nervous system, affecting the brain and/or spinal cord of 300,000 newborns worldwide each year” (Ricks et al., 2012, p. 391). The exact cause of these central nervous system defects is unknown, but there are many contributing factors that are evidenced to assist in the prevention of such a disorder. I will examine the varying types of neural tube defect, populations in which this defect is most prevalent, possible causes of the defect, and how this defect affects the healthcare system.
Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a condition marked by impaired muscle coordination and other disabilities, which causes damage to the brain before and during birth. Cerebral palsy is a static disorder of the brain, not a progressive disorder. This mean that the disorder or disease process will not get worse as time goes on. Nor are the motor disorders associated with cerebral palsy temporary. (Miller and Bachrach pg. 3) Cerebral Palsy affects the nervous system by having dysfunctions, in movements such as, learning, hearing, seeing, and thinking. During the first 3 to 5 years of a child's life Cerebral Palsy occur because the baby's brain is still developing. (CP is one of the most common congenital (existing before birth or at birth) disorders of childhood). Spastic, athetoid, ataxic and dystonic are all different types of Cerebral Palsy. Majority of circumstances with children having CP are unknown, then again numerous results show problems during pregnancy in which the brain is damaged or doesn't develop normally. “This can be due to infections, maternal health problems, a genetic disorder, or something else that interferes with normal brain development.” Cerebral palsy is also caused by injuries and abnormalities of the brain; as the baby grows in the womb these problems occur. Some causes may lead to problems with brain development which include:
Type II of OI accounts for approximately 10% of all cases. OI Type II is always lethal in the fetus. This is the most severe form of OI. The ribs will be thin, there will be limited cranial and facial bone ossification, and the limbs will be short.
Prefrontal Cortex The prefrontal cortex is the most anterior portion of the frontal lobe. It responds mostly to stimuli signaling the need for movement, however it is also responsible for many other specialized functions. It receives information from all sensory systems and can integrate a large amount of information (Kalat 2004). Studies have shown that the prefrontal cortex is responsible for working memory. Working memory is defined as "the information that is currently available in memory for working on a problem" (Anderson 2005).
First let’s discuss what anencephaly is. Anencephaly is a serious birth defect in which a baby is born without parts of the brain and skull. This birth defect happens during the first month of pregnancy and usually before a woman knows she is pregnant. Anencephaly happens if the upper part of the neural tube does
Some variations of hydrocephalus are present at birth, which may stem from “inherited genetic abnormalities”, “developmental disorders”, or possibly complications from premature birth (Hydrocephalus Fact Sheet, 2010). If the patient was born with hydrocephalus, the condition is called Congenital Hydrocephalus, whereas if the condition develops any time after birth it is known as Acquired Hydrocephalus (Hydrocephalus Fact Sheet, 2010). The symptoms of hydrocephalus change with age, and in infants the symptoms are the most prevalent because of the skull’s ability to expand. Besides the size of the head increasing, babies can also suffer from increase in sleepiness, seizures, vomiting, irritability, and “sunsetting” of the eyes which is when the
The nervous system is the most complex part of the body, as they govern our thoughts, feelings, and bodily functions. It is an important factor in science because it can lead to new discoveries for cures or diseases. The studies of the nervous system helped lower death rates from heart disease, stroke, accidents, etc. The nervous system is a network of neurons (nerve cells that sends information to the brain to be analyzed.
The severity that the disorder may have on a fetus depends on the amount of alcohol that was consumed and the time of consumption when the fetus was in uetero. FAS does not always result from high amounts of alcohol ingested by the mother, but possibly when it was consumed. The most critical time of fetal development in pregnancy is throughout the first trimester when the fetal body systems and organs are in the most vital stages of development, and are at risk for being severely altered, effecting every individual diagnosed in different ways. The central nervous system and brain are most affected, leading to developmental and cognitive alterations as well as physical changes of the child that is born with FAS. (Ismail, Buckley, Budacki, Jabbar, & Gallicano, 2010)
Arthrogryposis is a disorder in which a child is born with joint contractures; this means some of their joints may be stuck in one position (curved or crooked). Children born with this disorder may have thin, weak, stiff, or missing muscles around these joints. The most common cause of arthrogryposis is fetal akinesia which is where the baby doesn’t move around a lot in the womb during development. Extra tissue can form in the joints making movement more difficult for the child to move. The reasons that fetal akinesia can take place may be because the womb was abnormally shaped so there wasn’t enough room for the baby to move around, amniotic fluid may have leaked out of the womb, or the baby’s parts did not form normally such as joints, bones, and muscles. They have also found that in approximately one third of the children who have this disorder have been determined to be a genetic cause.
Sadler, T. W., and Jan Langman. Langman's Medical Embryology. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006. Print.