Rare Neurological Diseases

Neurological diseases are those that affect the brain, the spinal cord and nerves which form the central as well as the peripheral nervous system of the human body. While there are several neurological diseases that are common and which affect a massive population, there are also certain diseases that are considered as rare neurological diseases due to their very low rate of occurrence. The symptoms that these produce could range from developmental delays and speech problems to spastic movements and seizures.

Some of the rare neurological diseases include:

Carnosinemia:

• This is a rare metabolic condition that is also called by such names as serum-carnoinase deficiency, hyper-beta carnosinemia and carnoinase deficiency.
• Due to this condition neurological deficiencies like developmental delays occur.
• The common signs and symptoms of Carnosinemia include mental retardation, seizures and drowsiness. The seizures occur with severe involuntary head, arm and leg movements.
• The symptoms start appearing during infancy and they persist after the development of the child.

Syringomyelia:

• This is one of the rare neurological diseases that occur when there is a cyst formation in the spinal cord. This cyst expands and damages the functioning of the spinal cord.
• The causes of this disease are attributed to birth defects, brain developmental problems and spinal cord injury.
• The symptoms include stiffness, headaches, bladder and bowel control issues, reduced temperature sensations, sexual issues, pain and weakness.

Meige’s Syndrome:

• This is one of the examples of rare neurological diseases. It is actually a kind of dystonia in which repetitive involuntary movements occur due to muscle contractions.
• The common symptoms include rapid chin thrusting and blinking. Other symptoms include protrusion of the tongue, jaw opening and muscle spasm in the muscle that is responsible for head rotation.
• It is also called by names like idiopathic orofacial-dyskinesia, Brueghel Syndrome and oromandibular blepharospasm.

 

Simian B Virus Infection:

• This infection occurs due to a kind of herpes caused because of exposure to tissues of monkeys that are infected with this virus.
• Invasion of the infection in the body results in the occurrence of neurological damage due to inflammation of the brain along with its membranes and the spinal cord.
• The disease can be treated if the patient is administered antiviral drugs like Valcyclovir.

Schindler Disease:

• This is a rare neurological disease that is passed on from either parent and it results in the deficiency of an enzyme that is responsible for long sugar chain breakdown.
• It can occur in both childhood as well as in adulthood.
• In infants, it causes symptoms like seizures, mental retardation and blindness. Infants that are afflicted with the disease do not survive longer than 3-4 years of age.
• In adults, symptoms like nerve problems, dilation of blood vessels leading to the appearance of warts and mental retardation occur.

Kervy-Bucy syndrome:

• This is one of the rare neurological diseases that occur due to brain damage in the anterior temporal lobes.
• Symptoms that accompany this condition include dementia, loss of ability o experience certain emotions like anger and fear, impairment of visual recognition and seizures.
• Also, those people suffering from this disease experience sexual problems and have problems in concentrating.