Neurons

[kim]

I haven't even finished reading this page yet, but I wanted to post it before I lost it in my sea of note pads. It has those diagrams that I love.

In the first couple of paragraphs, I found the info about the resting membrane potential interesting. I remember someone saying that their child got ticcy during reading time. If they rubbed their back, the ticcing would stop. That is something that I have seen with my youngest son. NO tics, sits down to watch TV and relax and gets ticcy. I think most of us attribute it to being tired or screen flicker but I think for my son, this is probably more of what's happening. Kids that don't tic at school, but start when they get home, could have something to do with this too. I think it's pretty well estabilished that many people don't tic when they are engrossed in something. I remember the neuro saying that the kids would probably tic less during summer vacation when stress levels were lower. I remember thinking he was totally wrong. I felt they were ticcier (is that a word?). I'm talking those little twitches. With the big flairs, something else is going on.

 

Since I have been looking at these adhesion cells, the sodium and potassium channeling keep comming up. Usually, I see the calcium influx into the neurons being discussed in relationship to how neurons function so this article is nice to see.

 

http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/RITCHISO//301notes2.htm

 

Membranes are polarized or, in other words, exhibit a RESTING MEMBRANE POTENTIAL. This means that there is an unequal distribution of ions (atoms with a positive or negative charge) on the two sides of the nerve cell membrane. This POTENTIAL generally measures about 70 millivolts (with the INSIDE of the membrane negative with respect to the outside). So, the RESTING MEMBRANE POTENTIAL is expressed as -70 mV, and the minus means that the inside is negative relative to (or compared to) the outside. It is called a RESTING potential because it occurs when a membrane is not being stimulated or conducting impulses (in other words, it's resting).

[P_Mom]

Kim,

For you to be able to understand all the information that you post, well, as I can say is, God Bless You!! I know there is some great stuff to learn there.... but, try as I might I can't seem to process a thing, it is like I am reading a foreign language and I feel like a stooge. (I always considered myself fairly intellectually competent) Just let me request this... if you stumble on something that seems like a must know.. let me know and then try to break it down into simplier language, you know, for us simple folk.

 

Kelly

[kim]

Kelly,

 

I can't understand it, without all of the comments and contributions that you guys provide. Even at that, I don't really have a prayer. The best I think we can hope for, is to come up with some mutual things to help us get a little closer to a problem origin, then take it to a Dr. who would be the most appropriate. Genetic testing would probably be really nice, but if that's not a realistic possibility, i think there are somethings that a reg Dr. could help with, if convinced there was something there.

 

I know that I wanted to get back to something called the "nodes of ranvier" that I kicked up when looking at the EXT 1 mutation. The article I posted here, had a clear diagram showing that area. If it turned out to be anything useful, I wanted a way to explain it.

 

Believe me, I'm just as "simple" as anyone else here.

[Tracey111]

Types of neurotransmitters:

 

1- Excitatory - neurotransmitters that make membrane potential less negative (via increased permeability of the membrane to sodium) &, therefore, tend to 'excite' or stimulate the postsynaptic membrane

2 - Inhibitory - neurotransmitters that make membrane potential more negative (via increased permeability of the membrane to potassium) &, therefore, tend to 'inhibit' (or make less likely) the transmission of an impulse. One example of an inhibitory neurotransmitter is gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA; shown below). Medically, GABA has been used to treat both epilepsy and hypertension. Another example of an inhibitory neurotransmitter is beta-endorphin, which results in decreased pain perception by the CNS.

 

 

This was the part that I read over and over again! It is all very complicated, but I saw the GABA part and found it interesting. I saw other interesting things, but could not understand it all.

 

Also, I have written in about my son ticcing very badly when reading. His tics come on instantly when he reads, is trying to tell a story out of recall memory, is questioning what happened in a book, or telling a story about school.....it is very strange and I am trying to track it. I now say to myself "he is recalling some story" and see that he has his blinking tics increase. It is also when he is over tired, but the reading tics are the strongest. It must be related to one portion of his brain?????

 

I will discuss with the nuerologist, IF we ever go back there...it was not too useful!!!

[lurker]

Tracey,

 

Just a thought. I have read some hypotheses that tics are related to restless leg syndrome and also stuttering. In fact someone here had a transient stutterer. Anyway, something you said reminded me of stuttering, and it sounds like he is stuttering with his eyes instead of verbal blocking (probably a good thing). I think stuttering almost always happens under a similar kind of pressure to speak, read, perform or reiterate. I think it almost always goes away too!

[Tracey111]

Tracey,

 

Just a thought. I have read some hypotheses that tics are related to restless leg syndrome and also stuttering. In fact someone here had a transient stutterer. Anyway, something you said reminded me of stuttering, and it sounds like he is stuttering with his eyes instead of verbal blocking (probably a good thing). I think stuttering almost always happens under a similar kind of pressure to speak, read, perform or reiterate. I think it almost always goes away too!

 

Thanks for the info!!! It is something I could start researching.....something new to obsess on