The blood-brain barrier is a major component in protecting our central nervous system from harmful substances.  It is composed a tight sealed junction of the capillaries in the brain along with a thick basement membrane. This barrier only allows certain substances through to the brain.  Some water-soluble substance pass through it very easily, and some substances cross through slowly.  On the other hand, substances such as antibiotics are not allowed to cross the blood-brain barrier (Tortora). This makes it difficult to treat central nervous disorders.  The medical community has been puzzled after many different attempts to get antibiotics across the barrier.  So, what is the best route to solve this problem?

Researchers from Harvard Medical School and Boston University have been working on a study to solve this difficult problem.  The researchers have realized the lining of the nasal cavity is the best way to get medication directly to the central nervous system. First, they constructed an animal model to evaluate their possible technique.  They realized that this method is able to send particles to the brain that are a thousand times larger than the particles that the blood-brain barrier lets through (Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary).

The discovery that these researchers have made has a major impact on the medical community. The future, hopefully, holds a set of clinical trials for this method. This method could help many of the 20 million people who suffer from central nervous system diseases (Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary).  The research of this method serves as a beacon of light for those surviving and their families.

Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (2013, April 24). Nasal lining used to breach blood/brain barrier. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 30, 2013, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2013/04/130424185207.htm

Tortora G.J. and B. Derrickson. 2012. Principles of Anatomy and Physiology. 13th ed., John Wiley and Sons

          Epilepsy is characterized by short, recurrent attacks of motor, sensory, or psychological malfunction.  It affects about 1%of the entire world’s population.  Epilepsy is better known as seizures, or when the muscles of the body contract uncontrollably.  There are many causes, such as; brain damage, toxins, metabolic disturbances, and head injury.  A very common trigger for an epileptic episode is flashing lights.  There are medications available that can reduce or eliminate one’s epilepsy.

          While Epilepsy is a very serious disorder, it can be treated.  However, new studies suggest that the continuance of seizures late into life could be an early sign of Alzheimer’s Disease(AD).  The research suggests that patients with Epilepsy could endure much more severe effects from AD than patients without Epilepsy.  There is roughly a five to seven year difference in the occurrence of cognitive decline between epileptics and non-epileptics.  Epileptic patients can expect to see more neuronal damage, faster onset of symptoms, and a much faster rate of cognitive decline from AD.

           In conclusion, Epilepsy is a serious condition that can lead to even more harmful diseases.  The recent study has discovered a link between being epileptic and a faster development of AD.  Epilepsy in the earlier stages of life does not seem to affect the intelligence or normal functions of one’s brain.  However, over the period of sixty years, it has shown to cause more severe Alzheimer’s.  There will very likely be more research done into both disorders and possibly cures or treatments developed.  Neuronal-based sciences are still in a very early stage, and there are likely many discoveries ahead.

Tortora, Gerard J.  Bryan Derrickson.  A&P; principles of anatomy & physiology 13^th edition.  John Wiley & Sons, inc.  2011.  Chapter 12.  Nervous Tissue.  Page 486.

The JAMA Network Journals. “Seizures late in life may be an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease.” ScienceDaily, 8 Jul. 2013. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.

In the frontal lobe close to the lateral cerebral sulcus, you will find the Broca’s speech area. This area of the brain is localized in the left hemisphere for about 97% of the population. In the left frontal lobe is where planning and production of speech occur for most people (Tortora). We know that speech is localized in the left hemisphere of the brain for most individuals, but what happens when someone is affected by a stroke? How does the brain process speech if the Broca’s speech area was affected?

Kiel University scientists simulated a dysfunction in the brain, which was comparable to a stroke. They used a magnetic coil that transmitted a current pulse that interrupted the functioning area of the brain that is responsible for producing speech, the Broca’s area. The scientists insure that this process is harmless for volunteers and only influence speech, or the lack of speech for about 30 to 45 minutes (Christian).

Once this test was carried out, the scientists compared it to previous research, which indicated that speech was localized in the left hemisphere. They used several tests to show brain activity. One of which was a fMRI- functional magnetic resonance imaging test and a TMS- transcranial magnetic stimulation test. During the 30 to 45 minutes that speech was influenced, they asked volunteers to listen to pseudo words and repeat them. During this test they observed suppressed activity in the left hemisphere (due to the magnetic coil) and it took volunteers longer to repeat the words. They also saw a surprising display of activities on the right hemisphere of the brain (Christian).

This research is a sign of hope for the scientific and medical community. It shows us that although strokes could suppress speech activity in the left hemisphere, the right hemisphere could facilitate speech production for the injured or weakened left hemisphere (Christian). This gives the medical community hope for helping stroke patients recover their speech. This research gives us insight on what could possibly be done to prevent total speech loss and to help recover it. It gives hopes to medical professionals and families just alike, who equally want to help the patient recover to the best of their functional abilities.

Christian-Albrechts-Universitaet zu Kiel. “Speech recovery after stroke.” ScienceDaily, 27 Nov. 2013. Web. 29 Nov. 2013.

Tortora G.J. and B. Derrickson. 2012. Principles of Anatomy and Physiology. 13^th ed., John Wiley and Sons

There are many aspects in the human body that are affected by childhood poverty, and brain development happens to be one of the many. Jama Pediatrics explains that learning disabilities, depression, and the inability to cope with stress are all results of childhood poverty. In fact, researchers from the University Of Washington School Of Medicine did a study on the effect that childhood poverty has on brain development and the results were shocking. The results that the researchers found were astonishing simply because of the huge effect that poverty withholds on the development of the brain.

According to Honor Whiteman in Medical News Today, Researchers located at the University Of Washington School Of Medicine researched the effects that childhood poverty has on brain development. They discovered not only fascinating results, but they also found a cure for the brain development deficiencies that childhood poverty brings about. Researchers at the University discovered that learning disabilities, depression, and the inability to cope with stress are all symptoms that may uncover from insufficient brain development. All of these cases are caused by the lack of nurturing that the parents or guardians perform on their children. In order to come up with each discovery, an MRI was performed on one hundred and forty-five children that happened to be a part of a Preschool Depression Study between the ages of six and twelve. Portions of the one hundred and forty-five children were healthy normal children, while others suffered from different illnesses such as depression and ADHD. The research study was done by placing children and their parents/guardians in a clinic. While in the designated waiting area in the office, the child was given a gift-wrapped box, and the parent/guardian was given paperwork to complete. The child was told that the gift could not be opened until their personal caregiver had completed the necessary paperwork. The true research was how well the caregiver coped with the whining child that is wanting so very badly to open up the gift the gift they had been given. The researchers claimed that the caregivers that seemed stressed and less able to nurture their whining child were the ones that showed signs of living in poverty. According to the research, children who were living in poverty with caregivers that could not properly nurture their child showed signs of having less white and grey matter than those who were not living in poverty. In addition, the MRI scans that were taken showed that parts of the brain such as the amygdala and the hypothalamus where exceptionally smaller in children living in poverty versus children who were far more better off.

It is evident that there are several things that effect brain development, and childhood poverty is one of them. It is important to know and understand all of the different ways of life that can affect human development, especially when it comes to the brain. It is especially important to know not only so that people can try to change it, but also so that people can be aware of the effects that childhood poverty has on the brain. Once there is a sense of awareness among people that is when change has the ability to take place.

“The Effects of Poverty on Childhood Brain Development.” Jama Pediatrics. 28 Oct. 2013. Web.

1 Dec. 2013.

Whiteman, Honor. “Childhood Poverty Affects Brain Development.” MNT. 29 Oct. 2013. Web.

Autism is a neurological disorder that affects how the brain collects information and organizes it between the synapses in the brain.  Autism can cause severe delays in communication, social interaction, and disabilities in learning information.   Some characteristics of Autism are repetitive behavior, decreased eye contact, unresponsitivity to some emotions, and decreased nonverbal communication. (1)  The diagnosis of autism is on the rise due to the awareness and the age (typically before three years) in which symptoms start becoming recognizable. Since autism is a developmental disorder, a preferred method of treatment is educational curriculum for both family and the individual.

Geraldine Dawson has developed a curriculum to help bridge the learning gap of children with mild autism.  The Early Start Denver Model consists of children who are 18 months old and work with trained counselors twice a day for two hour sessions, five days a week.  Once these individuals received two years of training, their IQ was tested.  Findings showed an average improvement of 17.6 points. This led Dawson to theorize that since there was an improvement in IQ, there must also be an improvement in brain activity.  Dawson selected a group of 48 toddlers with autism who were between the ages of 18 months and three years of age.  The group was divided into 2 controlled groups in which one trained using the ESDM while the other was trained with traditional educational methods. Electroencephalography readings were taken of each group after two years of training.  Most findings report that the brain becomes highly active when looking at a toy versus a human face.  However, individuals who received the ESDM showed exact opposite.  The results closely resembled the brain waves of an individual that is not diagnosed with autism. (2)

Autism affects not only the individual but the family as whole.  This curriculum offers hope to improve the learning and recognition factors associated with this developmental disorder.  It also helps the science community to display the plasticity of the brain and how it can be redirected toward normal development.  ESDM can offer an individual with autism a better way to communicate and recognize different individuals, as well as improve their learning capabilities.  Unfortunately, it is not a cure, but a very effective tool to improve the overall lives of families affected.

1. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Web. 26 June 2013. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism#Management .
2. Park, Alice. “Behavior Therapy Normalizes brains of Autistic Children”.  Time Magazine Health & Family. 26 October 2012. Web. 26 June 2013. http://healthland.time.com/2012/10/26/behavior-therapy-normalizes-brains-of-autistic-children/ .

Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune, neuromuscular disorder.   Myasthenia gravis causes weakness and/ or fatigue of any voluntary muscle.  Ususally swallowing, facial expression, and movement of eyes are affected by myasthenia gravis.  Long-term treatment is oral medications that include corticosteroids.  When a person is in a myasthenic crises, they may not be able to swallow or have difficulty breathing.  A quick solution must be found to reverse a myasthenic crises or death may quickly occur.

When myasthenia gravis occurs, neuromuscular transmission is disrupted because of decreased receptor numbers.  The decrease of receptors is a result of binding antibodies to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors located on the post-synaptic membrane of the neuromuscular junction.  As many as 30-95% of myasthenia gravis patients are seropositive for immunoglobulin G AChR antibodies.  If a person receives treatment by plasmapheresis and a decrease in the antibody titre occurs, the symptoms will improve and short-term relief is achieved until the plasma antibodies rise again.

(Plasmapheresis is the process of removing the plasma and antibodies from whole blood.  RBC are returned to the body.  The process typically occurs in about an hour and saline is administered to replace the fluids lost through the apheresis process.)

Using plasmapheresis to remedy a life-threatening event such as myasthenic crises makes the process affordable and a reality for those suffering from myasthenia gravis.  The industry of plasmapheresis has so much to offer our evolving biologics research and treatment world through the process itself and through its use in pharmaceuticals.  Many studies are using the immunoglobulins from refracted plasma to build new medication therapies for chronic illnesses.  Plasmapheresis is a popular way to obtain life saving immunoglobulins that can be given in forms of medication or transplanted directly to patients to remedy sickle-cell crises and burns.  Maybe in the future studies and new technology of the apheresis process could include a way to give myasthenia gravis a periodic (daily, weekly) treatment for long-term needs.

Works cited:

“Myasthenia gravis”, Mayo Clinic Staff.  mayoclinic.com http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/myastheniagravis/DS00375.  26 JUN 2013, 11:14pm.

“Treatment Alternatives in the Successful Management of Myasthenia Gravis”.  Drugs and Therapy Prospectives, Medscape News Today.  27 Jun 2013,  7:53 am.  http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/434482.