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This article pertains to the neurological disorder, Parkinson's Disease (PD). PD is known to reduce motor system function due to the loss of dopamine-producing brain cells. Most symptoms related to PD include tremors, trembling, and slowness of movement (bradykinesia). As the disease progresses these tremors begin to effect daily activities like chewing and speaking. Unfortunately there is no cure for Parkinson's Disease. The most common treatment for PD is the use of medications such as levodopa. Due to complications with current medications other treatments like deep brain stimulation and surgery are commonly used. Parkinson's Disease is both chronic and progressive. Tremors and other symptoms will occur for long periods of time and possibly grow worse. Patients with PD experience varying symptoms and intensities. Current research being done in response to Parkinson's is being conducted at the National Institute of Health (NIH) and elsewhere. Current topics of research include discovering the cause of PD, and the development of protective drugs needed to delay, prevent, and even reverse the disease.

This essay explains the types of complications related to neurological conditions and how they effect the body. The first complication is of course related to the origination of brain tumors themselves. Brain metastases is caused by the spread of cancerous cells to brain from other areas of the body. Symptoms could include that of headaches to vision problems. The next topic of discussion is the Epidural Spinal Cord Compression. This is another type of metastases which can lead to spinal cord compression and possible paralysis. Common issues associated with this type of metastases include breast, prostate, or lung cancer. Additionally, Plexopathies are caused by the spread of cancer to the plexus. This type of complication causes serious pain and has the ability to migrate towards other areas of the plexus. Leptomeningeal Metastases is caused by the spread of cells to the tissues which cover the brain and spinal cord and could effect cognitive skills. Another complication is a vascular disorder. Vascular disorders and cancer are believed to correlate with a deep vein thrombosis. Finally, paraneoplastic disorder is a complication that is caused by a group of conditions which create biological side effects. These side effects include release of substances into the blood stream and inappropriate immune system responses.

Though MS obviously has no cure there are plenty of procedures and medications that can be used to lessen the effects of the disease. Treating specific attacks reduces the damage to the myelin sheath. Two methods for controlling the attacks are plasma exchanges and corticosteroids. Another way to control the effects of MS is by slowing the progression of the disease. There are many different drugs that slow the rate of relapses some of which include Beta Interferons, Copaxone, Gilenya, and Tysabri. In addition to these medications, other strategies can be used to treat the symptoms, which include physical therapy and muscle relaxants. 

Alzheimer's is actually a common form of dementia. Roughly 50-80 percent of patients with dementia are associated with Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's is considered a neurological disorder with loss of memory, thinking and behavioral function. Alzheimer's is common diagnosed in patients 65 and older with the exception of patients with Early-Onset Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's progressively worsens over time and commonly culminates in death 8 years after symptoms start to arrive. Again no cure has been found for alzheimer's, but certain medications are used to treat symptoms. A build-up of plaques and tangles in the brain is suspected to kill nerve cells and cause a loss of brain function. The loss of nerve cells causes gaps in the communication network and eventually causes a loss of function in those areas of the brain. Although scientists do not know their exact role in Alzheimer's, patients have been associated with an abundant amount of these abnormal structures.

This article provides information regarding the diagnosis of brain tumors. The first step in diagnosing brain tumors is a neurological exam. This type of exam is used to check vision, hearing, strength, sensation, and other cognitive skills. If deemed necessary other exams can be performed to determine characteristics of the tumors. The first is an angiogram, which is a type of x-ray for the head which examines arteries and veins. The second type is a brain scan, which shows abnormalities using a contrast dye. Another type of scan is the CT scan which creates a 3 dimensional image of the brain which can be useful in diagnosing brain tumors especially near bones. Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) is a type of scan which measures the flow of water through white matter of the brain. This method provides a snapshot of brains structure and can be very useful during surgical procedures allowing physicians a guide to the rest of the brain. An fMRI is used to determine specific locations related to specific functions. This type of diagnostic tool helps create a guide to specific functions of the brain which is used to better prepare for surgery. The common MRI uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create pictures of the brain. A similar MRS measures the function of the brain rather than its structure. Additionally, PET scans detect changes in the cells using an injection of radioactive glucose. Finally, the most effective way to diagnose a patient is by using a biopsy. A biopsy is a surgical procedure which a profile of tissue is collected and examined under a microscope. Most biopsy's are done using surgery, although there are a couple of different types of needle biopsy's.

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder associated with sudden seizures. In diagnosing epilepsy, the patient must have displayed two unexpected seizures. Epilepsy can be life - threatening and disabling or benign. Typical symptoms associated with epilepsy are strange sensations, emotions, and behavior. The cause of epilepsy is uncertain, but abnormal brain wiring may have an effect. With no cure for epilepsy, modern day medications and surgeries are used to treat patients. Due to the stigma associated with epilepsy, some children develop behavioral and emotional issues. The restriction of independence, like being denied a drivers license due to seizures, is also emotionally challenging for these patients. Current research being conducted for patients with epilepsy include the development of new models used to determine treatments, and brain implants which control seizures. 

Phil Plait, the author of Bad Astronomy, strongly believes that astrology is inaccurate according to 3 things horoscopes assert: force from planets and stars affect humans; force can be tracked; horoscopes predict fortune. Scientists argue, that out of the 4 forces (gravity, electromagnetism, strong, and weak), strong and weak forces have nothing to do with astrology itself, and the objects that exert the most gravitational and electromagnetic forces on the Earth have little influence in astrology. Many other researchers and authors support the idea that astrological predictions are biased and harmful.

There are several different ways to test antibiotic resistance. The category is Diffusion methods. About 1mil of a solution is used and bacteria growth is observed. The second is Disk diffusion method which uses an agar plate. The antibiotic is placed in a ring outside the bacteria and if the bacteria grows outside of the ring it is resistant to the antibiotic, if it doesn't the antibiotic works. There are other methods such as the E-Test, which involves a plastic strip and varying strengths of an antibiotic; Genotypic Methods, which allows testing for a specific mutation; and other more expensive methods of testing.

There are several different ways to test antibiotic resistance. The category is Diffusion methods. About 1mil of a solution is used and bacteria growth is observed. The second is Disk diffusion method which uses an agar plate. The antibiotic is placed in a ring outside the bacteria and if the bacteria grows outside of the ring it is resistant to the antibiotic, if it doesn't the antibiotic works. There are other methods such as the E-Test, which involves a plastic strip and varying strengths of an antibiotic; Genotypic Methods, which allows testing for a specific mutation; and other more expensive methods of testing.

Using the ISOpure computational purification tool, scientists and medical professionals can develop a prognosis and treatment plan for a certain cancer patients at a much quicker rate. The tool used in this process can help identify the cancerous tissue located in the organs and provide medical professionals further notice of the proportion of RNA originating from cancer cells allowing them to develop treatment plans ahead of time. ISOpure uses an algorithm which determines the proportion of RNA in the organ(s). The real challenges of developing these treatments is of course extracting a portion of tissue with both a normal profile and a cancer profile to predict the spread of the disease. After this portion of tissue has been extracted the ISOpure modeling can process the data using simple MATLAB software. The success of this computational tool is noted to improve the prediction of extra-prostatic-extension (EPE) by 10% in cancer profiles compared to the unpurified models. 

Reproduction is obviously a vital aspect of the human development. With a non-functioning fertility system future generations would be at a loss. Many problems could arise with infertility and ground-breaking research is finally being conducted. One of the important aspects of human reproduction is the use of hormones specifically FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone). This hormone is produced at the base of the brain stem and non-existing levels of FSH were recently associated with infertility. In order to regenerate these hormones a change has to be made in the FSHB subunit of the nucleotide. Infertility usually occurs after certain changes are made in the hormone levels and by redirecting the levels of hormones we may be able to alter the problems that arise during reproduction. It should also be noted that increases and decreases in the levels of FSH may have different effects depending on the gender of the patient. Current research estimates that the response of males to this therapy could positively effect nearly 45% of infertile men. Estimates could not be made for females as a result of insufficient research. 

Proton therapy in a painless, noninvasive type of radiation to treat malignant tumors. It has been used successfully in against a variety of tumors and has fewer side affects then conventional photon therapy. Both Photon and Proton therapies work in the same ways by destroying cancer cells and preventing them from dividing. Proton therapy penetrates less healthy tissue than photon therapy. That means that proton therapy has fewer side effects and a faster recovery. Proton therapy needs time to grow. Costs for therapy rooms are falling, but many insurances do not cover proton therapy and many medical professionals need to be educated about and trained to use proton therapy. Overall proton therapy is a quickly becoming a more efficient, better way to treat cancer.

If a mutation occurs in a person's genes it can cause cancer. The future of cancer therapy is identifying and targeting these mutations. A trial at the University of Florida, known as NSCABP-FC-7 takes the genetic fingerprint of a patients DNA and gives them a personalized treatment based on the information. The idea is to move away from the traditional cytotoxic treatment, and towards less toxic personalized medicine. However, the toxicity of cancer drugs is decreasing due to technology's increasing ability to target and destroy specific cells, and not healthy cells. Washington University St. Louis as well as other institutions have become part of the study. Overall, the future of cancer treatment lies in targeted therapies and personalized medicine.

Parents and their children both aggravated each other at one time or another but it is said that at a younger age parent aggravate their children more when they are younger. As the children get older the situation flip-flops the children are newly adults and have other things to spend their time doing in turn not making much time for the needs of attachment with their parents. Also in a resent study is says that more arguments with life choices such as money, friends and jobs tend to be brought up with the daughter and the mother because women tend to want a more intimate relationship with more frequent contact.

Although popularized by the media as "healthy," vaccinations bring more harm to the human body then they do health. Multiple studies have found that those children injected with vaccinations actually caught more disease than those not vaccinated. Vaccinations are not guaranteed to work, and can actually cause severe complications. Few vaccinations have been successful; these effective immunizations protect against one disease, but increase risk of other viruses. Vaccines contain harmful ingredients that can cause cancers and leukemia, and are even linked to AIDS. Vaccines are also connected to brain damage, lowered IQ, ADD, learning disabilities, and autism. Vaccinations are composed of harmful ingredients, are illogically produced, and cause more diseases than they prevent.

Although physical commitment is required to be successful at a given sport or activity, mental preparation is the key to victory. When individuals are competing at the Olympic level, those competitors have very small physical differences. What separates the winners from the losers is the mental preparation. Practice builds mental strength through memory and confidence; with this strong mentality, competitors are most successful when they let loose and "go with the flow." Letting oneself go in stressful situations or important competitions is crucial because thinking too much can lead to making foolish mistakes from the overwhelming stress a person can put on them self. Once a person starts to focus on one single adjustment, their performance deteriorates. Entering the "flow" state allows a person to perform easily and comfortably without stress. Practice actually betters the brain through the memorization of muscle movements. In order to achieve success, it is essential for one to maintain an alert state of mind. In this, a person is always prepared for what comes next. Keeping calm in important competitions is equally important; practice betters one's ability to do this through hormone and brain chemistry changes. Motivation also affects performance. Only those who have positive mindsets and strong minds are going to win competitions. Sports affect people for the rest of their lives through the mental changes they experience. 

Multiple sclerosis has been associated with attacks against the central nervous system. The immune system has been identified to targeting organs such as the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. It is known as an immune - mediated disease because there is no specific target that has been identified. The attacks by the immune system often damage myelin and create scarred tissue (sclerosis). Patients with multiple sclerosis could experience one of four courses identified with the disease. One course is the Relapsing-Remitting MS. In this course the patient experiences a severe attack on the CNS followed by remissions. The second course is known as the Primary-Progressive MS. In this course the central nervous system slowly deteriorates without any relapses or remissions. Another course of MS is the Secondary-Progressive MS. This form of MS generally follows the relapsing-remitting form of MS and progressively worsens the CNS with or without remissions and plateaus. The most rare form of MS is perhaps the Progressive-Relapsing MS. In this course of MS, patients generally experience a progressive worsening of neurological function, without any remissions.  

Mental rehearsal and "dry run" movements greatly improve the performance of athletes and performers. An experiment was executed with high jumpers to test the influence of mental rehearsal and "dry run" on overall performance. With mental rehearsal, the performance of high jumpers improved by 35%. Even better, through mental rehearsal and "dry run" actions, the athletes' performances bettered by 45%. Mental imagery and physical practice both better one's performance because the two use overlapping neural networks in the brain. Therefore, they work together to improve performance. 

A 50 year old man who previously went to a rock concert about a month before he started having very bad and persistent headaches. The doctors did lots of different tests and the patient never was a substance abuser and never experienced any head injuries, but did mention doing head banging at the concert. When they did a cranial Ct scan the man had received a blood clot. They doctors believed the blood clot was from the headbanging and they removed the blood clot and the patient was sent home with no more headaches.

As a pharmacist, Catherine Ulbricht studied different types of music and its therapeutic effects. There are scientific evidences that support that music influences mood and helps with stress. 5 conditions for which music therapy has good evidence for are autism, dementia, depression, infant development, and sleep quality. However, music shouldn't be listened to at high volumes nor should be a sole treatment for dangerous medical/psychiatric conditions; therefore, safety should be taken into account.

Chinese researches have discovered an ability to transform the cells found in urine into stem cells. Driving these scientists was the remarkable ability that stem cells possess: the ability to transform into other cells. These scientists actually transformed the cells from urine into stem cells, and used those stem cells to create human teeth in mice jawbones. This experiment did suffer several flaws, however. These teeth-like structures did contain a number of components that real teeth are composed of: enamel, dentin, and pulp. Even so, these teeth were only one-third as hard as human teeth. Additionally, this experiment resulted in 70% of the mice absent of teeth-like structures. Despite the flaws through the experiment, this discovery comes close to the regrowth of human features and gives hope to a possible future of regenerated human teeth. Better methods of obtaining cells with the ability to become stem cells exist, further giving the world of science hope in human body repair and regrowth.