Multiple Sclerosis Case Study

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4. Myelin insulates and protects an axon. If there is no myelin present, the transmission of nerve impulses will occur slower because Nodes of Ranvier will not be present between the myelin. It is at these Nodes of Ranvier where an action potential propagates down an axon via saltatory conduction. So when myelin is not present continuous conduction occurs, which is slow because local currents are generated right next to each other instead of action potentials jumping from the Nodes of Ranvier down the axon. In the peripheral nervous system, the cells that form myelin are called Schwann cells. In the central nervous system, the cells that form myelin are called oligodendrocytes.
5. The term sclerosis refers mainly to hardening or scarring in the nervous system. Aside from the nervous system, hardening or thickening can also occur within blood vessels. Sclerosis would make nerve transmission less effective and much
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She could have been experiencing altered sensations because the swelling surrounding the damaged nerve was more inflamed at various times. She was unable to stand because the breaking down of the myelin in MS patients can cause stiffness within their legs, which makes it difficult for them to walk …show more content…
Anna's hearing loss could have been related to Multiple Sclerosis. In rare cases, people diagnosed with MS can experience hearing loss in one of their ears, which is known as an MS relapse. For example, this loss of hearing could be due to damage of nerves within the midbrain. The midbrain contains nerves that are responsible for hearing. So if MS destroyed some of the myelin coating around these nerves, then that person would not be able to hear. In Anna's case, she lost hearing in her right ear. But when her ear, nose, and throat doctor prescribed her steroids, her hearing in her right ear came back. Steroids are prescribed for MS symptoms, so if her hearing had been related to MS then it is no surprise that the steroids she took