Thursday 27 February 2014

Temporal Lobe Seizures in Epileptics

Temporal lobe seizures are classified as a type of partial seizure usually relating to individuals who have epilepsy. The known and common causes relating to this disorder are either from a head injury or meningitis. The seizure is located deep in a part of what is known as the temporal lobe, this area of the brain handles memory and emotional aspects.

Temporal lobe seizures are categorized as a type of epilepsy that is either a complex or simple partial seizure. The simple seizures the individual will still be aware of his or her surrounding environment, but can experience other types of symptoms such as the olfactory sense. Complex type seizures will cause the individual to become disabled. The individual will not be aware of his or her surroundings and may seem to be in a type of daze. In many cases this type of seizure will cause the individual to perform repetitive movements such as continuous scratching or licking lips.

The intensity levels of temporal lobe seizures will differ in each individual. The individual will run through a range of experiences and emotions lasting either a couple of seconds or even minutes, this is known as "auras".

MRI (Magnetic Resource Imaging) is one of the only effective methods used today to study the temporal lobe and identify lesions. This method has proved to increase the rate of success in surgeries. The use of EEG is not a useful method in order to diagnose this particular epilepsy.

Anti-seizure medication is prescribed in treating temporal lobe seizures, and is effective in assisting complete or near complete control over seizure attacks. Alternative treatments for the disorder will include Nerve Stimulation (Vagus) or surgical procedures.

New Method in Surgery

The standard procedure relating to surgery for the temporal lobe would be to remove the hippocampus. However, this is not a desirable option due to the fact that the hippocampus relates to a source of stem cells which play an important role in healing the brain after an injury or minor stroke. In addition disruptions in the way these cells function can contribute to symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and depression.

Patients who pose a high risk in memory loss are not candidates for this type of procedure. However, a procedure known as MHT (Multiple Hippocampal Transection) is new way for doctors to treat temporal lobe seizures. This procedure is a far better  option for individuals who suffer from these seizures.

Tuesday 25 February 2014

Understanding Lissencephaly: A Smooth Brain Disorder

Most people have not heard about this cephalic disorder, but Lissencephaly, translation "smooth brain", is a condition in which the brain does not develop and form normally. Medically speaking, "gyri" or brain folds as well as "sulci" or grooves are both lacking due to certain neuronal migration activity that occurs within the 12th week up to the 24th week of gestation.

The physical appearance of the brain is going to be different, hence the nickname for this medical condition. A delay in development is going to accompany this condition, but the severity of this delay varies widely and is attributed to the severity of deformation of the brain as well as severity of seizures in relation to the condition of the brain.

Life expectancy for individuals suffering from smooth brain disorder can be hindered for a variety of reasons, chiefly respiratory issues over time. A similar brain disorder, polymicrogyria, can sometimes be confused with lissencephaly, so there are a conjunction of symptoms that radiologists look for in order to make sure the diagnosis is correct.

Cerebral abnormalities can also of course be detected by more in depth ultrasounds prior to birth. Of course this has to be in conjunction with other examinations post birth. The ultrasound before birth can detect these abnormalities as early as week 20. Before this week, the brain looks smooth anyway so it would be impossible to tell.

In recent years, more insight has been developed concerning this disease thanks to genetic studies as well as neuroimaging. There are actually a total of 20 different types of this condition that make up the entire smooth brain disorder. Continued research searches for other causes as well as treatment options. There is a possibility that children continue to develop normally and function normally all through life, but many of them also suffer from severe mental retardation and end up stopping development at about the five month level.

This means that many children are left unable to walk or even move around much and of course not able to speak. However, with the advancements that have been made, life expectancy has increased in general and children are able to see further development in many cases. Treatment for each individual does differ due to the types of symptoms so this will be discussed with the doctor and communicated to you. As more is discovered about smooth brain disorder, prognosis will likely continue to get better as it has done in recent years.

Monday 24 February 2014

Recognizing And Dealing With Seizure Warning Signs

Seizures are related to many different conditions, such as epilepsy, and there are many triggers and warning signs associated with them that you can watch for. These seizure warning signs include behaviors, physical signs, environmental factors and much more. In addition, people often experience individual warning signs prior to seizures occurring, such as a specific smell or taste.

Identifying common seizure warning signs as well as recognizing personal triggers can help prevent seizures as well as help you and others around you manage them better. Seizures can be mild or severe, and grand mal seizures are the most severe. Sometimes these seizures can have behavioral issues that are triggers even several hours prior to the seizure occurring. This can be very helpful when it comes to preventing seizures. In this case, the doctor should be contacted to see if perhaps an immediate extra dose of the medication could help. 

When the trigger is a certain smell that occurs, sometimes this can be offset by having the person who is about to experience the seizure sniff garlic or another really strong odor. Another type of seizure is called the Jacksonian seizure, and the attack can sometimes be stopped in the process by having someone massage the twitching muscles.

A person should avoid alcohol if they are prone to having seizures. If your seizures are a common occurrence, you need to definitely learn from them so that you can identify personal triggers, which will help yourself try to get them under control. A seizure is the result of an excessive amount of activity in the brain. While many conditions and situations aren't completely curable, with the right medication and awareness about lifestyle and warning triggers and signs, seizures can be manageable to an extent.

The areas of the brain affected often determine the types of seizures and the behaviors during them. Simple seizures are episodes where the patient is left conscious, but complex seizures are episodes where the person often loses consciousness. Experiencing warning signs in relation to grand mal seizures hours before was discussed in an earlier paragraph. Did you know that in some cases the warning signs can happen even days before the attack? And, sometimes there is absolutely no warning when a seizure occurs. However, knowing the many seizure warning signs is going to give you the best chance to help you manage and possibly overcome your condition.

Friday 21 February 2014

Symptoms and Causes of Having a Seizure in Sleep

It has been proven that when an individual experiences abnormal electrical activity in the brain, this can lead to seizures when awake or a seizure in sleep. The seizure is a transmission disturbances relating to impulses that are sent from the brain resulting in behavioral changes. Seizures will cause the individual to experience spasms, jerky movements and sensory and emotional changes.

When a seizure has been diagnosed as a chronic type of seizure it will be called epilepsy. When a seizure is caused from an extremely high fever located in the area of the brain it will be called a type of febrile seizure. Febrile seizures can lead to a host of problems such as brain infections, cerebral palsy, internal bleeding located in the area of the brain, trauma and even disorders of the metabolism.

Certain individuals who experience a seizure while sleeping will undergo convulsions. However, convulsions are not a common occurrence for individuals who undergo a seizure. The symptoms of a seizure will vary greatly from one individual to another and the affected side in the brain. Generalized types of seizures will usually occur in individuals who present a problem with both parts of their brains.

When an individual has a partial seizure, only one side of the brain will be affected. For the majority of individuals who suffer from a seizure, the seizure will occur in an awake state. For some individuals seizure in sleep is a more common occurrence.

This type of seizure is classified or better known as a nocturnal seizure, the seizure will occur in any stage of a sleep pattern.  These stages can include REM which is known as (Rapid Eye Movement), light sleep or even deep sleep. The seizure occurs due to the change in patterns relating to the individuals brain waves as they move from one stage in their sleep pattern onto another.

These seizures occur in children and adults and are more common in the stages of light sleeping. This is the stage just before the individual moves into a deeper sleep or the stage just before waking up. The individual will experience jerky movements, spasms, deep breathing and a stiffness of the limbs. In many cases of seizure in sleep the individual will not even remember or be aware of the seizure and wake feeling drowsy or with an extensive headache.

Tuesday 11 February 2014

How To Differentiate Psychological Seizures From Epileptic Ones

Psychological seizures or non-epileptic attack disorders are very similar to epileptic seizures, therefore they are often misdiagnosed and treated with the wrong drugs. There are estimations that show 20% of seizure patients diagnosed with epilepsy don't respond to the treatment given to them by their doctors, the reason being that they don't suffer from epilepsy in the first place.

There are some physical clues which can help specialist tell psychological seizures from epilepsy ones, but sometimes these clues can be misleading. One of the most relevant is the eye movements during the seizure. A study done by the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona revealed that almost all patients who had a non-epileptic seizure had their eyes closed during the event, while almost all those who suffered epileptic seizures either had their eyes opened or blinked during the whole time. These findings are interesting, but they still need to be confirmed. Being able to differentiate early between the two types of seizures is very important, as it could prevent many failed treatments caused by the fact that patients receive drugs for a condition they don't actually suffer from.

The main difference between psychological seizures and epileptic ones is the absence of the electrical discharges in the brain that are characteristic for epilepsy sufferers. The differential diagnosis starts by ruling out epilepsy, migraine, stroke, vertigo or syncope as possible causes of the seizures.

The best method to rule out epilepsy is to record the electrical signals in the brain. This is done with a video-electroencephalogram, also known as EEG. Sensors are place don the patient's scalp, then their EEG is recorded while they are also videotaped. This test is usually done over a period of several days, in order to allow time for the seizures to occur. It is important that the patient is also recorded on video, because the EEG test can give lots of false positives in both the general population and in patients suffering from other psychiatric disorders that are characterized by seizures similar to psychological ones such as panic disorders or schizophrenia.

Although highly relevant, many times this test is skipped by neurologists, who directly put their patients on epilepsy drugs. If a patient doesn't respond to a certain drug, the specialists then tries different drugs, but none of them is successful in the end, since the patient doesn't suffer from epilepsy.

Monday 10 February 2014

Understanding Postpartum Anxiety

Postpartum Anxiety is a condition that affects women after having given birth. The syndrome is similar to PPD (Postpartum Depression) in that it is a direct result of the fluctuating hormones, but present in different ways and with different symptoms. Where as a woman with PPD will experience listlessness and almost paralyzing sadness, a woman with Postpartum Anxiety will experience panic, rapid pulse, anger, paranoia and in some cases headaches and restlessness. 

In many cases both conditions, postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety present together with the patient experiencing moments of deep sadness followed by moments of terror and anxiety with a feeling of impending doom. Because so little focus has been placed on anxiety disorders that affect women postpartum, in many cases physicians mistakenly consider anxiety symptoms as  a part of PPD. This is a mistake, as the treatment for depression will do nothing to alleviate feelings of deep anxiety and fear experienced by women with postpartum anxiety.

Because depression is treated with medications that act as 'uppers', the affect on an already anxious person can be catastrophic with the medications leading to more severe symptoms and a higher anxiety level. Anxiety medications on the other hand act as downers, relaxing and numbing the individual to help minimize stress  and help the new mother relax in her surroundings. Because of the major differences in the conditions educating medical professionals on the differences and dangers of misdiagnosing Postpartum Anxiety is very important.

Education is also important for mothers to be being aware of the symptoms related to anxiety disorders is the first step to getting help. Although most people have heard of and are cautioned by their physicians about PPD, no mention is made of postpartum anxiety. This leads to many women suffering needlessly, some even suffering debilitating panic attacks and being unable to sleep due to the intensity of the anxiety. Because their doctors see them as being upbeat and not depressed they receive no treatment and no relief.

On the other hand, if the problem is diagnosed correctly, proper medication can be used to completely alleviate the symptoms of the condition. This can be done using a low dose of anti-anxiety medication daily. Amazingly, treatment tends to be much easier for many women than finding the diagnosis.

Postpartum Anxiety, the forgotten sibling of Postpartum Depression, is a serious and debilitating disorder that affects mothers soon after giving birth. Recognizing the symptoms and seeking help is the first step to alleviating the symptoms of this exhausting condition.

Sunday 9 February 2014

What Are The Main Panic Disorder Diagnostic Criteria

Panic disorder is a condition which involves recurrent unexpected panic attacks which cause the sufferer concern and distress, and cause a significant change in the behaviour of the patient. Panic attacks which are caused by a quantifiable outside source, such as medication, are not considered to cause panic disorder.

The key panic disorder diagnostic criteria are considered to be the occurrence of some or all of the following symptoms. The symptoms tend to develop suddenly and reach a peak within a few minutes:

  • Palpitations or a greatly increased heart rate
  • Sweating
  • Shaking or trembling
  • Feelings of being smothered or short of breath
  • Choking sensation
  • Chest pain
  • Nausea or stomach pain
  • Dizziness
  • Feeling detached or as if your surroundings are not real
  • Fear of loss of control
  • Fear of death
  • Numbness and tingling
  • Hot or cold flushes

Patients who meet four or more of the above described panic disorder diagnostic criteria are considered to have a panic disorder under the DSM-IV. The diagnostic criteria may be altered slightly under future versions of the DSM, however they are unlikely to change significantly.

The most common symptom of a panic attack is an accelerated heart rate, which is reported by 97% of patients. Dizziness is the second most common symptom, and paresthesias (numbness and tingling) is the third most common symptom. A patient must have multiple panic attacks, and must have persistent concern over the possibility of future attacks, for the attacks to be classified as part of a disorder.

In some cases, a patient may suffer from panic attacks but not be diagnosed as having panic disoder, because the attacks can be accounted for by a different disorder. For example, someone with Social Phobia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or a Specific Phobia may suffer from panic attacks as a result of their condition. In this case, the attack can be accounted for by exposure to a feared or discomfiting situation. Such sufferers can often learn to manage their panic attacks as a part of learning to cope with their existing condition.

Panic disorder is a serious but manageable condition that can affect both adults and children. If you think that you or someone you know suffers from panic disorder, seek advice from a qualified medical professional as soon as possible and explain which panic disorder diagnostic criteria you feel they meet. In many cases, people with panic disorder can learn to control their condition and go on to lead relatively normal lives with outside assistance.

Saturday 8 February 2014

How To Give First Aid In Non Convulsive Seizures

Although they may easily pass unnoticed, non convulsive seizures can be quite frequent among epilepsy sufferers. They may cause various neurological deficits, especially in the cognitive function an in the alertness level of the patient. If properly diagnosed and treated, non convulsive seizures are treatable and reversible. Unfortunately, they are often mistaken for something else, so the patient doesn't get the appropriate care for this specific condition. Left untreated, the patient may suffer from prolonged memory dysfunctions, that's why it is strongly advisable that the condition is diagnosed and cared for as early as possible, before neurological damage occurs.

If you are a caregiver for a person suffering from non convulsive seizures, you should know how to give them first aid in case such a seizure occurs in your presence and you recognize it. This type of seizure is usually characterized by absence, confusion, diminished responsiveness and occasional blinking.

If you are in a public place when it happens, it's best you explain other people what this is all about. Otherwise, they may think the patient is simply drunk or on drugs. It is good that people around you are aware of the situation, because they will be more willing to help you, if needed. Don't let them get too close to the patient anyway, because you can't predict his reactions and you don't want to make the situation worse than it already is.

Try to keep your calm and speak loudly and clearly to the patient. Take him or her away from all possible dangers of threats. They may or may not struggle, but regardless of this, you have to stay calm and keep taking to them until you manage to get them out of the danger area. The most frequent threats can be steep flights of steps, a hot stove, a busy road or anything else that would require a person to stay alert and avoid possible dangers.

Don't leave the patient unattended during the seizure, because they can't control their movements, so many things can happen. Wait until the crisis is gone completely, watch the person to make sure he is fully conscious again, then offer to help them get home or wherever they may be going.

You should avoid restraining the patient, because this may worsen their symptoms. At the same time, you need to be vigilant and remove all dangerous items from the neighborhood.

Friday 7 February 2014

What is Neurofeedback?

Neurofeedback is direct training of brain functions where the brain learns to function more efficiently. Neurofeedback is also called EEG biofeedback since it is based on electrical brain activity. It is a gradual learning process for the brain. Irregular brain patterns are changed to more appropriate pattern through this brain training. It is considered one of the most effective treatments for numerous brain disorders.


Electrodes are applied on the scalp of the patient, and the doctor listens to the patient's brainwave activity. Neurofeedback is used to change timing and activation patterns in the brain. This will create changes in the feedback loops and pathways that make up the brain. This will improve brain regulation, which in turn would impact a variety of brain disorder symptoms. Different brain disorders may require different training sequences with EEG biofeedback. Depression may require frontal lobe training where as anxiety or panic disorder may involve parietal training. Similar to having different exercises for training different body parts, the brain too would require different approaches in training it. The below mentioned mental disorders can be effectively treated with EEG biofeedback.


1. ADD / ADHD

More children and adults with attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are using EEG biofeedback than any other problem. Latest clinical studies confirm a 80 - 90% improvement in the majority of patients who completed 25-35 training sessions. Many parents bring their children for this kind of treatment because they believe that putting their children on medications for years is not a good thing, and they want alternatives that work.


2. Anxiety

Anxiety is one of the very first symptoms that start to respond to the EEG biofeedback training. Significant improvements are noticed in more than 90% of patients who had undergone the training.


3. Bipolar Disorder

Clinical reports state that EEG biofeedback helped patients with Bipolar disorder to become more stable and reduce the dependency on their medications.


4. Migraines and Headaches

Therapists report that EEG biofeedback helped their patients to get rid of migraines and headaches much effectively than other medications.


5. Epilepsy

Multiple studies show that EEG biofeedback training would help to reduce the occurrences of seizure. Most of these patient's did not respond to other medications as they did respond to EEG biofeedback.


There are many more disorders that positively respond to EEG biofeedback than any other kind of medications. Learning disabilities, autism, sleep disorders, behavior disorders and obsessive compulsory disorder are some of them.

Thursday 6 February 2014

Neurofeedback Autism Presents No Risk And Promotes Significant Improvement

Autism is a very complex neurological disorder, presenting itself in different forms and mixtures of symptoms among individuals afflicted. Did you know that the Center for Disease Control has said that 1 in 88 children have autism? There are mild forms of autism and more severe cases, and some are not diagnosed or misdiagnosed at times.

When a child has autism, there are going to be many different things involved in their treatment plan. Neurofeedback autism is one of the processes often used in order to monitor the activity in the brain of the patient. Essentially patients are able to watch their brainwave activity on a screen using an EEG machine, and this is a way of redirecting them to normal brain function. This happens by the patient seeing the brainwave patterns shifting into a pattern when they exhibit normal brain activity, and then they can consistently make these same choices.

Neurofeedback autism has no side effects and that is one of the most important reasons as to why it is so heavily favored. It is a great solution on top of medication and other treatment options that can possibly help redirect autistic children to be able to function more normally in society. There is research indicating that it can help with social interaction, irritability and more. And, when improvements do occur, they are long-lasting and not short-term.

While there haven't been a ton of studies conducted on this form of treatment for autism, there will likely be more information in the near future. Why? Well, there are many studies in relation to other conditions, such as patients with ADD and ADHD. And, it has been shown that the treatment helps with significant improvement in symptoms.

The dissenting opinion right now is that people with ADHD are not as impaired as people with forms of autism. Therefore, the neurofeedback autism treatment would not necessarily always work as an intervention if the autistic patient does not relate to the activity. However, this is just an opinion that has also yet to be fully studied, and it is hoped that in the future this form of treatment is a preferred solution.

Neurofeedback goes right along with those natural choices that parents of autistic children are always seeking out as forms of alternative treatments. Aside from prescribed medications, parents often attempt dietary changes, other types of different interventions and all-natural supplements.

Wednesday 5 February 2014

Know Your Options Concerning Narcolepsy Treatment

Most people know that narcolepsy is a sleep disorder. However, unless suffering from this condition, it is often perceived as only a danger due to falling asleep in various places creating dangerous situations. It has been parodied in movies, and it should first be noted that the "dangerous situations" can also cause danger to others around the person. Narcolepsy is actually a neurological condition causing sleepiness and the loss of one's ability to control muscle function.

Did you know that hallucinations and sleep paralysis are also symptoms of narcolepsy? Furthermore, it's important to notice triggers for narcolepsy when it comes to seeking proper treatment. The triggers are generally recognized as intense emotions in which the narcolepsy then occurs.

Narcolepsy is a serious medical condition, and it's important to know all of your options concerning narcolepsy treatment. First, you must understand there is not a cure for narcolepsy, so you're going to have to take a multiple treatment approach and work towards managing your condition. Certain medications can help with symptoms, as well as counseling, hypnosis and implemented lifestyle changes. The exact treatment or combination of treatments that a doctor prescribes for you will depend upon your symptoms.

The symptoms surrounding epilepsy and the type of circumstances that can arise make for complications in a person's life and those around them. Therefore, depression and other conditions can sometimes arise as well, which of course expands the symptoms experienced and calls for further treatment.

It can be difficult to diagnose narcolepsy sometimes depending on what symptoms are experienced, how severe they are, and how close they are to other types of conditions. There are not only counseling options available but also narcolepsy treatment support groups as well. These support groups can counteract your social issues due to narcolepsy by giving your social interaction with people that have the same condition. You can get ideas from people sharing to help you cope with your condition as well.

The lifestyle changes mentioned are in regards to helping you achieve a much better sleeping cycle. Exercise plays a huge role, as does your dietary regimen and how you deal with your stress levels. One thing you can do is to try and focus on a bedtime routine that is relaxing and of course try and follow a sleep schedule that is regular. Pursuing all of these narcolepsy treatment options will help you see a noticeable improvement in your narcolepsy symptoms.

Tuesday 4 February 2014

How To Recognize Mild Seizure Symptoms

Many early symptoms of a seizure disorder are overlooked due to the fact that they are mild and present as repetitive behaviors rarely associated with seizures. Mild seizure symptoms can present as staring spells, repetitive movements such as sucking, or chewing motions, blinking, lip smacking, uncontrollable laughter, or even singing and incontinence. Being aware of the milder presentations of seizures can help you recognize the condition and seek proper help.

Petite Mal seizures, also called Absence Seizures, are extremely brief seizures that are often mistaken for daydreaming or lack of attentiveness. Because the seizures can last for as little as a few seconds, it can be easy to miss completely. In some cases Petite Mal seizures are accompanied by a repetitive motion, such as chewing, waving or smacking and the patient is completely unaware of the gap in time.

Other mild seizure symptoms include sporadic jerking movements, these are especially easy to miss in very young children and babies whose movements might be explained by their underdeveloped muscle and control. These seizures commonly present right after waking up and cause sudden jerks of the shoulder and arms, and in some cases legs. It is important to treat these seemingly mild seizures as in some cases it can spread to the rest of the brain, when that occurs it results in a generalized tonic-clonic seizure.

 Uncontrollable laughter or crying are another one of the mild seizure symptoms that shouldn't be ignored and could be the result of a gelastic or dacrystic seizures. The vocalization usually sounds forced, in many cases these seizures follow an aura or feeling of panic or fear. During the seizure the patient might have a blank or vacant stare, or have rapid or unusual eye movement.

Sudden falls, swallowing, sweating, lip smacking, eye fluttering or falling down can also be symptoms of seizures. In some cases a seizure will be preempted by a feeling of panic, euphoria,nausea or unusual sensations,  in others there is no warning sign before the seizure. Once the seizure is over the patient may experience confusion, memory loss or weakness and will take a while to return to full lucidity.  

Being aware of some of the milder seizure symptoms is important to early diagnosis and treatment. Treating seemingly mild seizures is essential in order to avoid brain damage due to seizure activity and to prevent more dangerous seizures from presenting in the patient.

Monday 3 February 2014

The Etiology of Panic Disorder

As with many other mental health conditions, the exact cause of panic disorder is not fully understood as yet. The etiology of panic disorder could be a combination of many physical and psychological factors. Childhood traumatic events, negative experiences and the environment plays a major part in the formation of psychological disorders such as panic and anxiety disorder. Some of the major contributors to the etiology of panic disorder are outlined below.


1. Parental Attitudes and Behavior

In 1973, Dr. John Bowdly revealed that agoraphobic patients would often describe their parents as being overprotective, controlling, restricting and dominant. This revelation was primarily based on his clinical observations, and subsequent studies confirmed most of the elements in his observation. Several authors have found that parents of agoraphobic patients: a kind of panic disorder, tend to provide less emotional warmth and support to their children. They found out that patients with panic disorders tend to grow up in homes where family conflicts and rejections are abundant.


2. Childhood Sexual and Physical Abuse

Several studies on the subject confirm that sexual and physical violence in childhood contributes to later development of panic disorder to a large extent. Stein et al. (1996) found that 17% of men and 35% of women, who suffered from panic and anxiety disorders in their adulthood had a history of childhood sexual and physical abuse. The same study confirmed that 60% of the women who suffered from panic disorders had a history of childhood sexual molestation.


3. Childhood Separation

Childhood separation from an emotionally significant figure was another major cause of panic and anxiety disorders. Loss of parents or siblings through death or divorce was the leading cause for this separation.


4. Personality Factors
Latest studies suggest that panic disorder patients may have certain personality traits that predispose them to develop the disorder. Most panic disorder patients were found to have strong harm avoidance traits. These patients are found to have high scores of tension, un-sociability, emotional immaturity, neuroticism, pessimism, shyness, guilt feeling, retaining anger and dependence.


5. Childhood Phobias

Children exhibits a variety of fears which include: darkness, animals, injuries, schooling at younger ages and death. These phobias have been linked to later panic disorder developments by most of the studies conducted on the subject.


6. Imbalances in Hormones

Neurotransmitters are chemicals that help to maintain a good mood. They are produced naturally in the brain. Imbalances in these hormones also can lead to panic and anxiety disorders.


The above is the etiology of panic disorder as per the latest studies conducted on the subject.

Sunday 2 February 2014

Effects of Autism on the Individual and the Family

Autism is a kind of development disorder that begins in the first three years of a person's life. It affects the brain's normal development of communication and social skills. These children have difficulty in understanding what is happening around them and an inability to predict what will happen. Children with autism cannot start or maintain a social conversation. They often communicate with gestures than words. They are mostly withdrawn, and doesn't make friends easily.

The effects of autism are many fold. Autism creates a considerable amount of anxiety and insecurity in a person on a daily basis. This situation would often be expressed through various stress reducing obsessive behaviors such as bunching, biting, kicking or full blown tantrums. Since autism is not a physically visible disease, the general public will tend to condemn such behavior. They assume a child with autism to be naughty or the parents are not controlling the child. This can lead to parents not taking their children to public places in fear of risking the behavioral difficulties of their children. This will cause not only the child suffering from autism, but their siblings too, to become housebound and isolated. This kind of situation can have a profound effect on their social and emotional well being. This is one of the major effects of autism that can affect the individual, as well as, the family.

A child suffering from autism will experience failure in school and social activities. This will lead to low self esteem and lack of confidence, which can lead to depression and other mental disorders in later life. These children are also vulnerable to abuse and being bullied in school. This also will be mentally unhealthy for the child and can create depression and panic disorders in their adulthood.

Adults with autism tend to be misunderstood by society. Due to their lack of social understanding or imagination, they can break the law and commit crimes more easily than normal people. Hence it is imperative that resources are made available by society to help these adults with autism. They should be taught life skills and social communication skills in order to cope in society and not go astray. If not, their behavior can have a damaging effect on the society and its individuals as a whole. This way the effects of autism can spread beyond the individual and family and seep into the society.

Saturday 1 February 2014

What Are Some Early Signs Of Autism?

If autism can be detected at a very young age, early intervention might make all of the difference in the world. Young children can be helped with different types of therapy to help them cope with their disorder. In many cases, some medical professionals can diagnose an autism spectrum disorder by the time a child is two years old or even younger.

The outcome for children with autism depends upon the individual. As you consider some early signs of autism, it is important to remember that many autistic children are very bright. With proper therapy, they may learn to cope with many of their differences, so they can grow up to lead productive and happy lives. Other individuals who are more severely affected might need to have support and care for the rest of their lives.

What Are Some Early Signs Of Autism?


There are early signs and symptoms of autism. However, it is important to remember that every child develops at a different rate, so one symptom does not always indicate that a child has an autism spectrum disorder. Medical professionals usually look at a combination of symptoms in order to make a diagnosis.

The other thing to remember is that children who have autism are individuals, and there are also different types of autism. Again, that is why it is important to consider a number of different things before deciding if a child is affected with autism or not.

Speech

In some autistic children speech is delayed. However, some children who have a type of autism that is known as Asperger's may have be very verbal. They may simply go on about topics that are not always interesting to the people they are speaking to.

Sensory Issues

Lots of children who have autism suffer from sensory problems. They could be very sensitive to touch, temperature, and noises. It might seem like autistic children get upset for no reason, but they are actually reacting to things in their environment that bother them, but that you might not even notice.

Balance and Walking

Some children with autism seem to walk and move awkwardly. They may even walk on their toes when most children would walk around on flat feet. This is not because there is a physical problem, but it is probably because of sensory issues. They do not feel their bodies the way that normal children feel them. 

Who To Tell About Early Signs Of Autism?

If you believe your child displays some of these signs, you may want to visit your family doctor. He may refer you to an expert for more help.