Anatomy Case Study I Split My Brain

Zuhair Allahrakha

Mr. Stobinsky

Period 4

March 3, 2015

Split My Brain: A Case Study of Seizure disorder and Brain Function

A. Part One

1. Why is there electrical activity in the brain? Describe how it is used by neurons.

Electrical activity forms pathways between neurons. The pathways allow for the currents to stimulate various nerve cells in order to tell the body how to function.

2. What happens in the brain during a seizure?

A seizure is caused in the brain when the neurons create so much electricity that the brain cannot handle it and then kind of goes haywire. Haywire stands for the brain not being able to properly communicate with the body and how to function due to disturbance in the electrical pathways.

3. What is epilepsy? How is it diagnosed?

Epilepsy is a neurological condition that affects the nervous system; it can possibly cause seizures. It is diagnosed in many different ways such as: by looking at a patient’s medical history, physical exam, EEG, and/or an MRI.

4. What are some possible causes of seizures other than epilepsy?

There are many possible causes of seizures that include blood sugar, brain injury, illness, poison, fever, drug use, drug withdrawal, stroke, and blood pressure.

5. Based on the information in the case, what type of seizure does Jerrod appear to be having?

It appears that Jerrod has Absence Seizure, and this is because of many contributing factors, first off he is a young child, secondly he stood still for a few seconds while having muscle twitches, and last but not least he did not remember what happened.

6. What are some treatments for epilepsy?

Epilepsy can be treated with a strict dug regime, shock therapy, and if absolutely necessary, surgery to remove the specific part of the brain that it is affecting.