When the brain is damaged, it can malfunction and lead to complete loss of consciousness (coma), disorientation, or an inability to pay attention (delirium). The type and severity of brain dysfunction depend on how extensive brain damage is, where the damage is, and how quickly the disorder causing it is progressing. The nervous system is also vulnerable to damage and malfunction (from diseases and injuries), for example from nerve degeneration that causes Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. Bacteria or viruses can infect the brain or spinal cord, causing encephalitis or meningitis.
Charles Bonnet Syndrome (or CBS) is named after a Swiss philosopher who first described this condition in 1760 when he noticed that his grandfather, who was blinded by cataracts, described seeing birds and buildings that did not exist. CBS is a condition in which people with sight problems start to see things that they know are not real (visual hallucinations). CBS affects people with sight difficulties and normally only people who have lost their sight later in life. However, it can affect people of any age.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: None
Off-Label Prescription Drugs Breakthrough Options: Donepezil, Mirtazapine
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that predominantly strikes young women. Generally believed to be an autoimmune disease (the body’s immune system attacks itself), it involves damage to the myelin sheath of nerve tissue. Symptoms include fatigue, mobility impairment, pain, depression, sensory disorders (vision, hearing, and touch), poor balance, and muscle weakness and spasms, with the first symptoms usually occurring between the ages of 20 and 40. Presently there is no cure for MS. The diagnosis may be delayed due to nonspecific and uncertain symptoms. MS has the tendency to move into remission and spontaneously exacerbate. Researchers are now investigating many different therapies for slowing disease progression and minimizing recurrences; some of these therapies have been approved by U.S. FDA to reduce frequency of exacerbations.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: Corticotropin, Gadopentetate Dimeglumine, Glatiramer, Interferon Beta-1A, Interferon Beta-1B, Methylprednisolone, Mitoxantrone, Natalizumab, Prednisone, Triamcinolone
Off-Label Prescription Drugs Breakthrough Options: Alemtuzumab, Amantadine, Amitriptyline, Azathioprine, Carbamazepine, Clonazepam, Cyclophosphamide, Diazepam, Dronabinol, Fluoxetine, Gabapentin, Imipramine, Immune Globulin, Isoniazid, Lamotrigine, Methotrexate, Methylphenidate, Modafinil, Nortriptyline, Ondansetron, Phenytoin, Simvastatin, Tiagabine, Topiramate
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