Annie Tired Swimmer

May 14, 2013

The Tired Swimmer: A Case Study on the Nervous System

Part I:

. What vital signs or symptoms does Annie exhibit?

Blurred vision, eye strain, hand and finger aches, short of breath, constant fatigue.

. Can you see any common features in Annie’s signs and symptoms?

All of her symptoms make Annie feel overly exhausted and her muscles tired.

. Why is Annie having problems breathing?

Her muscles are being deprived of oxygen, so she gasps for more air to fill the need.

. What are the possible reasons for Annie’s condition?

She could have a lung problem. Lack of oxygen could be what is causing excess lactic acid build up in her muscles.

Part II:

. What additional vital signs or symptoms does Annie exhibit?

Drooping eyelids, stress, exhaustion.

. Draw a cross section of the mammalian spinal cord, including the dorsal and ventral roots, and draw a muscle to one side on the spinal cord. Draw in a reflex that includes a sensory nerve, an interneuron, and a motor nerve.

. How could a decline in muscle function contribute to eye strain and blurred vision?

Her eye muscles could be working hard to focus, but failing.

. What are the possible reasons for Annie’s condition?

She could have something wrong with her brain, since her doctor is going to refer her to a neurologist.

Part III:

. According to the conduction test, was Annie’s nerve function normal?

Yes.

. According to Annie’s emg test, was Annie’s skeletal muscle function normal?

No.

. Considering your answers to Questions  and , why did activity in Annie’s motor nerves produce a skeletal muscle response that fatigued during repetitive stimulation?

The muscle response decreased quickly during repeated nerve stimulation, indicating that your muscle response fatigued over time.

. Fill in the blanks in the accompanying flow chart of the neuromuscular junction (see next page).

[pic]

. Now take each stage in turn and discuss...