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Central Nervous System Disorders

The brain and the spinal cord make up the central nervous system (CNS), which is responsible for many functions, from voluntary movements like picking up an object to involuntary responses such as controlling the electrical impulses in the brain and regulating the sleep/wake cycle.

Disruption in the way that cells in the CNS communicate can lead to significant problems. An abnormality in the electrical communication between nerve cells in the brain, for example, is a root cause of epilepsy, a CNS disorder that affects more than three million Americans of all ages. Many other disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and traumatic brain injury involve disruptions to nerve cell communication in the CNS.

A frequent disruption of the sleep/wake cycle may result from a sleep disorder, a significant health concern. Sleep disorders can also cause this disruption in the sleep/wake cycle. There are more than 70 recognized sleep disorders, affecting up to 60 million Americans every year. Insomnia, the inability to fall or stay asleep, is probably the most well known.  However, there are a host of disorders associated with excessive sleepiness, the inability to maintain wakefulness or stay awake. Disorders commonly associated with excessive sleepiness are Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome, Shift Work Sleep Disorder, and Narcolepsy.  Untreated sleep disorders may affect or contribute to additional physical and psychological health problems.

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