Neurological Brain Disorders

The brain is very complex, and many neurological brain disorders are not well understood. Stroke, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, and Tourette syndrome are just a few examples of the many disorders that affect the brain.

Stroke

• A stroke is caused by the sudden loss of blood flow to some part of the brain, killing or damaging an area of brain cells. Depending on the part of the brain that is affected, different brain functions (such as speech, muscle control, memory or vision) may be affected.

Parkinson's Disease

• In Parkinson's disease, dopamine in the brain is reduced. This causes tremor, stiffness, poor coordination and trouble with movement.

Alzheimer's Disease

• A brain with Alzheimer's disease is filled with a waxy plaque that disrupts the connections between nerve cells as it accumulates. This causes gradually increasing memory loss, confusion and disorientation. A person with Alzheimer's will eventually forget how to perform simple everyday tasks and will no longer recognize family members.

Epilepsy

• Epilepsy is the condition of having seizures. During a seizure, the electrical impulses that your nerve cells use to communicate are overactive. This irregular brain activity can result in uncontrollable muscle convulsions and a decreased awareness of your surroundings.

Tourette Syndrome

• Tourette Syndrome is characterized by involuntary, repeated behaviors called tics. Tics can be movements or vocalizations, often including shoulder shrugging, blinking, grunting, sniffing, throat clearing, barking, hopping, twisting and saying repeated words or phrases.