Multiple Sclerosis Homework #1
Please watch the videos and visit the website below and answer the following questions.
Each question is worth 2 points, please make sure to fully address each question. Remember to
cite sources as necessary. Total possible points is 20.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB6yF6Rdxvc
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4jciTjqUHI
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aa2hKL0A_o
Visit this website to learn more about speech problems associated with MS
https://www.nationalmssociety.org/understanding-ms/what-is-ms/ms-symptoms/speech-
problems
Answer the following questions.
-
What is myelin and what function does it play in the nervous systems?
- Myelin is a fatty coating on axons that serves as an insulator, similar to insulation around electric wire. It serves the purpose of speeding up the transmissions of action potentials, the signaling of neurons. The presence of a myelin sheath is critical in the brain for allowing faster and more coordinated thought, especially when transmitting over long distances as is the case in projecting nerves to muscles.
-
Why is MS considered an “autoimmune” disease?
- An autoimmune disease is a disease that causes malfunctions in your immune system, resulting in your immune system damaging healthy cells in your body. MS causes your immune system to damage the myelin coating of the CNS, slowing transmission of signals, causing inflammation, and creating a wide variety of symptoms. This makes it a textbook autoimmune disease, as the disease is characterized by the immune system (B-cells and T-cells) attacking healthy cells (myelin coating in the brain).
-
What is age range when MS usually diagnosed?
-
What two events occur that result in B-cells interfering with myelin in the brain?
- The blood brain barrier breaks down, allowing B-cells to enter the brain.
- B-cells begin to attack the brains own cells, specifically the myelin coating of axons.
-
What aspects of cognition are affected by MS in the case of Felix?
- He mentions suffering from cognitive impairment. He gives the example of no longer reading because he is unable to sustain the knowledge of what’s happening in a book throughout the pages.
- He mentions visual problems, but doesn’t elaborate on it.
- He also mentions depression.
-
What aspects of motor function are disrupted in the case of Felix?
- Felix describes suffering from a dissociation from his feet, and the feeling that they don’t belong to him.
- He also has issues with balance, and works with a physical therapist to improve his balance.
-
What are two prominent types of speech disorders associated with MS?
- Dysarthria and Dysphonia
-
Provide a definition for each of these terms you stated in Question 7.
- Dysarthria - “weakness, slowness, changes in muscle tone, or lack of coordination of the tongue, lips, soft palate, throat, vocal cords and diaphragm.” This can cause speech to sound slurred and uncoordinated.
- Dysphonia - Difficulties in managing airflow when communicating, causing speech to sound loud and strained.
-
Do you think the type of impairments you have noted in this discussion of MS support a holist view or a modular view of the brain ?
- I believe that the symptoms we see in MS support a holist view of the brain. With the holist view, it is believed that the systems of the brain are deeply interconnected and not segmented into discrete areas that serve different functions. In the case of MS, we can see that damage to the brain as a whole, degrading the myelin coating has a wide variety of effects on the brain, ranging from speech impairment, motor impairment, and cognitive impairment. This wide variety of symptoms supports the idea that the brains regions have a wide variety of responsibilities, and damage to them can have unexpected and far reaching side effects.
-
How might the study of persons with MS motivate a need to distinguish between speech disorders versus language disorders?
- It is important to make a distinction, because in some instances the issue will come from generating speech while in other cases issues will come from the brains ability to understand and manipulate language. Understanding the difference between the disorders can inform treatment and a deeper understanding of the underlying disorder. For example, the degeneration of the CNS tends to result in a speech disorder instead of a language disorder, as it causes difficulty in manipulating the muscles involved in speech.