NATIONAL CENTER FOR CASE STUDY TEACHING IN SC CE

Wearing on Her Nerves: Exploring the
Interrelation between the Nervous and Muscular Systems

by
Kathleen G. Brown, Nursing Department
Sharon S. Ellerton, Biological Sciences and Geology
Queensborough Community College, City University of New York

Part I – Rise and Shine?
Kathy, a 20-year-old woman, awakens one morning to a tingling, numb sensation covering both of her feet. This has happened to her a number of times throughout the year. In the past, when experiencing this sensation, within a couple of days to a week the numbness would subside, and so she is not too concerned. About a week later, she notices that the numbness and tingling not only persists, but has also spread …show more content…
She is discharged from the hospital and schedules a follow up appointment with the neurologist.

When she returns to the neurologist, they discuss Kathy’s different options for treatment. Because there is no cure for the disease, options in medication vary greatly. She decides to try daily injections of Copaxone, a medication that is similar in structure to a protein found in myelin.

Kathy continues to see the neurologist on a regular basis and gives herself an injection every evening. Over the course of seven months of therapy, she only experiences one occurrence of numbness, which subsides after a couple of days. She tries to stay positive and tries to minimize the disease’s impact on her life.

Questions
7. What is myelin and how does it affect the transmission of nerve impulses? Identify the cells responsible for the formation of myelin. Myelin is the substance that forms a medullary sheath around the axis cylinder of some nerve fibers. The myelin acts as a strong electrical conductor. Schwann cells are responsible for the formation of myelin.
8. What are the “scleroses” in Multiple Sclerosis and where do they occur? How does this influence nerve transmission? Scleroses are abnormal hardening of nerve tissues that occur in parts of the brain or spinal cord. This influences nerve transmission by slowing it down.
9. How do an MRI and spinal tap help