Vagal Nerve Stimulation and Epilepsy :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Vagal Nerve comment and Epilepsy Epilepsy is a brain disorder characterized by captures which occur when neurons fire uncontrollably and chaotic completelyy. The four most common categories of ecstasys are simple partial, complex partial, standby generalised tonic-clonic, and generalized tonic-clonic. A partial seizure is peerless in which epileptic exercise stays in a focused field of honor of the brain. During a simple partial seizure, the patient maintains full consciousness and experiences hallucinations, illusions and/or muscle jerking. A patient experiencing a complex partial seizure has impaired consciousness and often makes automated movements. A generalized tonic-clonic (GTC) seizure is characterized by complete loss of consciousness, rhythmic jerking, and a period of unresponsiveness. A secondary generalized tonic-clonic (SGTC) seizure is one in which the epileptic activity of a partial seizure spreads to the entire brain, resulting in a generalized seizure.(3). Epi lepsy has a variety of different pathologies. These include genetic factors, poisoning, and brain injury. highschool levels of excitatory neurotransmitters, low levels of inhibitory neurotransmitters, and abnormal wiring are all thought to be causes of seizures. Possibly, abnormalities in the cell membrane play a part in causing seizures. (3). This makes sense since the cell membrane essentially controls the polarization of the cell, which in turn controls the activation of signaling between cells. Often, seizures are caused by a deficiency of GABA, a neurotransmitter which inhibits the passing of information from one neuron to another. (1). Seizures which are caused by lack of inhibitor could, in a way, be likened to the example of a chicken which runs around for some time later on its head is cut off. The spastic wild activity of the chicken is out-of-pocket to the fact that the inhibitory neurons are all in the head, which was removed. There is aught to control the excitator y neurons. Similarly, without enough inhibiting GABA, many neurons send signals all at once, and there is nothing to stop them. One of the more recent forms of treatment for epilepsy is called Vagal Nerve Stimulation (VNS). The first VNS device was implanted into a human in 1988. ((2).) The vagus meat is a cranial nerve controlling muscles involved with swallowing, speaking and coughing. The nerve is also involved with receiving input signal from and sending information about the heart, stomach and lungs to the brain. (6). The Vagus Nerve Stimulator is a small generator which sends electrical activity to the brain to prevent seizures. (5).