Transcript PLTW Hospital: Grand Rounds

Karina Bravo

Helen is a 28-year-old woman who has noticed strange “pins and
needles” feelings in her feet and hands. She has been very tired
lately and she says that when she goes to the gym “she just feels
weak.” She says that her inability to exercise has been making her
feel depressed. Her vision seems to be getting worse and she’s
made an appointment with her ophthalmologist for later in the
week. Most recently, she has experienced moments of
unsteadiness when she walks. She was a gymnast in high school;
she has never had a problem with balance before. She has noticed
that her symptoms seem to come and go. She experiences periods
of fatigue and balance problems, but the majority of the time she
feels just fine.
 “Pins
and needles” feelings in feet and
hands
 Very tired
 Feels weak when attending the gym
 Depressed
 Vision worsening
 Unsteadiness when walking
 Fatigue
 Balance problems
 Pins
and needles= Parietal lobe of cerebrum
 Tired= Brain stem and pineal gland
 Weakness= Motor cortex and back of frontal
lobe of cerebrum
 Depressed= Amygdala and frontal lobe of
cerebrum
 Vision= Occipital lobe of cerebrum
 Unsteady= Cerebellum
 Fatigue= Cerebellum
 Balance= Cerebellum
 Multiple
sclerosis is a chronic disease that
attacks the central nervous system
 Multiple sclerosis affects women more than
men.
 Commonly diagnosed between ages 20 and
40
 You are slightly more likely to get this
condition if you have a family history of MS
or live in a part of the world where MS is
more common.

It is caused by damage to the myelin sheath.
When this nerve covering is damaged, nerve
signals slow down or stop.
The nerve damage is caused by inflammation.
Inflammation happens when the body's immune
cells attack the nervous system. This can occur in
any area of the brain, optic nerve, and spinal
cord.
 It is unknown what exactly causes this to happen.
The most common thought is that a virus or gene
defect, or both, are to blame. Environmental
factors may play a role.

Dealing with this disease can be very difficult.
 Some days the patient may have plenty of
energy, while other days she may be weak.
 It affects your emotions, your mobility, and
sometimes your ability to think clearly.
 Many people with MS realize that their
medication is just part of their overall
treatment. They work to manage their
relapsing MS by eating well, exercising, and
relieving stress

Neurologist:
Help to treat neurological disorders
Can help the patient improve their Multiple
Sclerosis problems
 They make about $216,407 a year


Physical Therapist:
Help people who have injuries or illnesses
improve their movement and manage their pain
 Can help the patient become stronger when they
feel weak
 They make about 76,273 a year

 http://www1.salary.com/Physical-Therapist-
Salary.html
 http://www1.salary.com/neurologistSalary.html
 http://www.diagnosisms.com/2012/04/30/mrifor-odlarmed.com/?p=1428
 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/P
MH0001747multiple-sclerosis/
 http:///