Mental Disorders, Neurological Illnesses, Headaches and Migraines

“BRAIN: The World Inside Your Head,” which premiered at the Arts and Industries Building at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., brings information about the body’s most essential organ to light in an interactive, family-oriented atmosphere. A groundbreaking exhibit made possible by Pfizer, “BRAIN” educates families about brain-based diseases and disorders, helping to demystify the brain and destigmatize mental illness. Most Americans will have some interaction with brain-based diseases and disorders in their lifetime.

MENTAL DISORDERS
– According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 22.1 percent of Americans 18 and older (44.3 million people) – more than one in five adults – suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. (1)
– Mental disorders account for four of the 10 leading causes of disability in the U.S. and other developed countries – major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder. (2)
– Less than one-third of adults with a diagnosable mental disorder, and even a smaller proportion of children, receive any mental health services in a given year. (3)
– Slightly less than six percent of the adult population and about eight percent of children and adolescents (ages 9 to 17) use specialty mental health services in a year. (4)

Anxiety Disorders
– Anxiety disorders include panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder (social phobias) and other phobias (agoraphobia and specific phobia). (5)
– Approximately 19.1 million American adults ages 18 to 54, or about 13.3 percent, have an anxiety disorder. (6)
– Anxiety disorders frequently co-occur with depressive disorders, eating disorders, or substance abuse. Many people have more than one anxiety disorder. (7)
– Women are more likely than men to have an anxiety disorder. Approximately twice as many women as men suffer from panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, agoraphobia and specific phobia, though about equal numbers of women and men have obsessive-compulsive disorder and social phobia. (8)
– Medication and specific types of psychotherapy have proven effective in treating anxiety disorders. (9) Although medications such as antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications won’t cure an anxiety disorder, they can keep the symptoms under control. (10)

Panic Disorder
– Approximately 2.4 million American adults ages 18 to 54, or about 1.7 percent, have panic disorder. (11)
– Panic disorder typically develops in late adolescence or early adulthood. (12)
– About one in three people with panic disorder develop agoraphobia, a condition in which they become afraid of being in any place or situation where escape might be difficult or help unavailable in the event of a panic attack. (13)

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
– Approximately 3.3 million American adults ages 18 to 54, or about 2.3 percent, have OCD. (14)
– The first symptoms of OCD often begin during adolescence or early adulthood. (15)

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
– Approximately 5.2 million American adults ages 18 to 54, or about 3.6 percent, have PTSD. (16)
– PTSD can develop at any age, including childhood. (17)
– The disorder most frequently occurs after violent personal assaults such as rape, mugging or domestic violence; terrorism; natural or human-caused disasters; and accidents. (18)
– The disease can also occur in combat veterans. For example, 30 percent of Vietnam veterans experienced PTSD at some point after the war. (19)

Depressive Disorders
– Depressive disorders encompass major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder and bipolar disorder. (20)
– In a given year, approximately 19 million American adults, or about 9.5 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older, have a depressive disorder. (21)
– Nearly twice as many women (12 percent or 12.4 million) as men (6.6 percent or 6.4 million) are affected by a depressive disorder each year. (22)
– People born in recent decades may exhibit depressive disorder earlier in their lives than previous generations. (23)
– Depressive disorders often co-occur with anxiety disorders and substance abuse. (24)
– More than 90 percent of people who commit suicide have a diagnosable mental disorder, commonly a depressive disorder or a substance abuse disorder. (25)

Major Depressive Disorder
– Major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. It affects 9.9 million, or about 5 percent, of American adults. (26)
– Nearly twice as many women (6.5 percent or 6.7 million) as men (3.3 percent or 3.2 million) suffer from major depressive disorder each year. (27)
– Major depressive disorder can develop at any age; the average age of onset is mid-20s. (28)
– While the medical condition called major depression may be triggered by a life event or other external cause, it also may come on for no apparent reason. (29) The precise cause of major depression is not clear; this illness is thought to be associated with a chemical imbalance of one or more neurotransmitters in the brain, one of which is serotonin. (30)

Dysthymic Disorder
– Dysthymic disorder is a less severe type of depression that involves long-term, chronic symptoms that do not disable, but keep one from functioning well or from feeling good. (31)
– Dysthymic disorder affects about 5.4 percent of adults age 18 and older, or 10.9 million adults, during their lifetime. (32)
– About 40 percent of adults with dysthymic disorder also meet criteria for major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder in a given year. (33)
– Dysthymic disorder often begins in childhood, adolescence or early adulthood. (34)

Bipolar Disorder
– Bipolar disorder causes dramatic mood swings – from overly “high” (mania) and/or irritable to sad and hopeless (depression), and then back again, often with periods of normal mood in between. Severe shifts in energy and behavior go along with these changes in mood. (35)
– Bipolar disorder affects approximately 2.3 million American adults, or about 1.2 percent of the U.S. adult population. (36)
– Men and women are equally likely to develop bipolar disorder, which tends to run in families. (37)
– Scientists agree that there is no single cause for bipolar disorder. It seems likely that many different genes act together, and in combination with other factors of the person or the person’s environment, to cause bipolar disorder. (38)

Schizophrenia
– Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe and disabling brain disease. People with schizophrenia often suffer terrifying symptoms such as hearing internal voices not heard by others, or believing that other people are reading their minds, controlling their thoughts, or plotting to harm them. These symptoms may leave them fearful and withdrawn. Their speech and behavior can be so disorganized that they may be incomprehensible or frightening to others. (39)
– About 2.2 million people, or about 1.1 percent of American adults, have schizophrenia. (40)

– Schizophrenia affects men and women with equal frequency. Schizophrenia often first appears earlier in men, usually in their late teens or early 20s, than in women, who are generally affected in their 20s or early 30s. (41)
– People with schizophrenia have a higher rate of suicide than the general population. Approximately 10 percent of people with schizophrenia (especially younger adult males) commit suicide. (42)
– There is no known single cause of schizophrenia. It has long been known that schizophrenia runs in families. A child whose parent has schizophrenia has about a 10 percent chance of developing the disease. By comparison, the risk of schizophrenia in the general population is about one percent. (43)
– Antipsychotic medications reduce the psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia and usually allow the patient to function more effectively and appropriately. This is the best treatment now available and can result in substantial improvement. However, it does not cure schizophrenia. (44)

NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES AND DISORDERS
– There are more than 600 diseases that affect the brain and central nervous system. (45)
– An estimated 50 million people are affected by diseases of the brain and nervous system. (46)
– Common neurological diseases that kill and disable individuals include Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, epilepsy and neuropathic pain. (47)
– Advances in understanding the nervous system are beginning to pay off in the form of treatments for previously intractable problems – Alzheimer’s Disease, spinal cord injury, acute stroke, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease, to name a few. (48)

Alzheimer’s Disease
– Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that occurs gradually and results in memory loss, behavior and personality changes, and a decline in thinking abilities. These losses are related to the death of brain cells and the breakdown of the connections between them. (49)
– AD, the most common cause of dementia among people age 65 and older, affects an estimated four million Americans. (50)
– AD affects the parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language. The disease usually begins after age 65. The risk of AD increases with age. (51)
– About three percent of men and women ages 65 to 74 have AD, and nearly half of those age 85 and older may have the disease. (52)
– It is also estimated that approximately 360,000 new cases will occur each year. (53)
– The annual national cost of caring for AD patients is estimated to be slightly over $50 billion. (54)
– No treatment can stop AD. However, for some people in the early and middle stages of the disease, certain treatments may alleviate some cognitive symptoms. Also, some medications may help control behavioral symptoms of AD such as sleeplessness, agitation, wandering, anxiety and depression. Treating these symptoms often makes patients more comfortable and makes their care easier to administer. (55)

Epilepsy
– Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which clusters of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain sometimes signal abnormally. When the normal pattern of neuronal activity becomes disturbed, a person may have strange sensations, emotions and behavior, convulsions, muscle spasms and loss of consciousness. (56)
– Epilepsy afflicts an estimated 2.5 million people in the United States and 40 million worldwide. (57)
– A recent study by the Epilepsy Foundation estimated that the annual financial cost of this disorder is $12.5 billion in the United States. (58)
– For approximately 80 percent of those diagnosed with epilepsy, seizures can be controlled with medication and surgical techniques. (59)

Neuropathic Pain
– Neuropathic pain is a chronic condition in which painful sensations originate from nerves that have been injured. A common disability in humans, a neuropathic pain condition may result from any injury to a peripheral or central neuron. (60)
– Neuropathic pain affects about one percent of the population. (61)
– Viral infections such as herpes or AIDS, tumors, wounds, toxic doses of drugs, nerve constriction and metabolic disorders such as diabetes may lead to a neuropathic condition. (62)

Parkinson’s Disease
– Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that belongs to a group of conditions called motor system disorders. Parkinson’s and related disorders are the result of the loss of dopamine-producing brain cells. Dopamine is a chemical messenger responsible for transmitting signals within the brain. Parkinson’s disease occurs when certain nerve cells, or neurons, die or become impaired. People with Parkinson’s are unable to direct or control their movement in a normal manner. (63)
– Parkinson’s is not usually inherited. Early symptoms are subtle and occur gradually. There is no way to predict or prevent it. (64)
– In the United States at least 500,000 people are believed to suffer from Parkinson’s disease and about 50,000 new cases are reported annually. These figures are expected to increase as the average age of the population increases. (65)
– The disorder appears to be slightly more common in men than women. The average age of onset is about 60. Both prevalence and incidence increase with advancing age; the rates are very low in people under 40 and rise among people in their 70s and 80s. (66)
– A variety of medications provide relief for symptoms of Parkinson’s, but no drug can stop the progression of the disease. (67)

Headaches
– An estimated 45 million Americans experience chronic headaches. For at least half of these people, the problem is severe and sometimes disabling. (68) Approximately 90 percent of chronic headache patients can be helped. (69)
– Headache sufferers make more than 8 million visits a year to doctors’ offices (70), but only 11 percent of sufferers consult a neurologist for evaluation or treatment. (71)
– One theory of headaches is that people who suffer from severe headache and other types of chronic pain have lower levels of endorphins than people who are generally pain free do. (72)
– Vascular headaches are thought to involve abnormal function of the brain’s blood vessels or vascular system. (73)
– Muscle contraction headaches appear to involve the tightening or tensing of facial and neck muscles. (74)
– Traction and inflammatory headaches are symptoms of other disorders, ranging from brain tumor to stroke to sinus infection. (75)
– Some types of headaches signal more serious disorders: sudden, severe headache; headache associated with convulsions; headache accompanied by confusion or loss of consciousness; headache following a blow on the head; headache associated with pain in the eye or ear: persistent headache in a person who was previously headache free; recurring headache in children; headache associated with fever; and headache that interferes with normal life. (76)

Migraine
– Migraine headaches affect 28 million Americans. Roughly 21 million, or 75 percent, of migraine sufferers are women. (77)
– Migraine symptoms occur in various combinations and include pain, extreme sensitivity to light and sound, nausea and vomiting. Some individuals can predict the onset of a migraine with telltale signs that include visual disturbances. This is called a migraine “aura.” (78)
– Migraine victims alone lose more than 157 million workdays each year because of headache pain. (79) Although one in four households in the U.S. have someone affected by migraine headaches, migraine is still not considered by many employers and insurers to be a legitimate medical problem. (80)
– For many years, scientists believed that migraines were linked to the dilation and constriction of blood vessels in the head. Investigators now believe that migraine is caused by inherited abnormalities in certain cell populations in the brain. (81)

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1 National Institute of Mental Health “The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America” Feb. 21, 2001
2 Ibid.
3 U.S. Public Health Service “Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General” Chapter 2 Feb. 21, 2001
4 U.S. Public Health Service “Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General” Chapter 6 Feb. 21, 2001
5 National Institute of Mental Health “The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America, Anxiety Disorders” Feb. 21, 2001
6 Ibid.
7 Ibid.
8 Ibid.
9 National Institute of Mental Health “Anxiety Disorders: Treatment of Anxiety Disorders” Mar. 26, 2001
10 Ibid.
11 National Institute of Mental Health “The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America, Anxiety Disorders: Panic Disorder” Feb. 21, 2001
12 Ibid.
13 Ibid.
14 National Institute of Mental Health “The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America, Anxiety Disorders: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)” Feb. 21, 2001
15 Ibid.
16 National Institute of Mental Health “The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America, Anxiety Disorders: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)” Feb. 21, 2001
17 Ibid.
18 Ibid.
19 Ibid.
20 National Institute of Mental Health “The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America, Depressive Disorders” Feb. 21, 2001
21 Ibid.
22 Ibid.
23 Ibid.
24 Ibid.
25 National Institute of Mental Health “The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in American, Suicide” Feb. 21, 2001
26 National Institute of Mental Health “The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America, Depressive Disorders: Major Depressive Disorder” Feb. 21, 2001
27 Ibid.
28 Ibid.
29 Depression and Its Treatment, John H. Greist, M.D. & James W. Jefferson, M.D., American Psychiatric Press, Warner Books, 1992
30 Introductory Textbook of Psychiatry, Nancy C. Andreasen, American Psychiatric Press, 1991
31 National Institute of Mental Health “Depression: Types of Depression” Apr. 25, 2001
32 National Institute of Health “The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America, Depressive Disorders: Dysthymic Disorder” Feb. 21, 2001
33 Ibid.
34 Ibid.
35 National Institute of Mental Health “Bipolar Disorder” Mar. 22, 2001
36 National Institute of Mental Health “The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America, Depressive Disorders: Bipolar Disorder” Feb. 21, 2001
37 Ibid.
38 National Institute of Mental Health “Bipolar Disorder: What Causes Bipolar Disorder?” Mar. 26, 2001
39 National Institute of Mental Health “Schizophrenia: What Is It?” Mar. 22, 2001
40 National Institute of Mental Health “The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America, Schizophrenia” Feb. 21, 2001
41 Ibid.
42 National Institute of Mental Health “Schizophrenia: What About Suicide?” Mar. 22, 2001
43 National Institute of Mental Health “Schizophrenia” Mar. 22, 2001
44 National Institute of Mental Health “Schizophrenia: What About Medications?” Mar. 22, 2001
45 Marion Emr, Director, Office of Communications and Public Liaison, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
46 Ibid.
47 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke “Strategic Plan: Challenges” Mar. 26, 2001
48 Ibid.
49 Alzheimer’s Disease and Education Referral Center, National Institute on Aging “Progress Report on Alzheimer’s Disease 1999: Introduction” Mar. 19, 2001
50 Alzheimer’s Disease and Education Referral Center, National Institute on Aging “Progress Report on Alzheimer’s Disease 1999: The Impact of Alzheimer’s Disease” Mar. 19, 2001
51 Alzheimer’s Disease and Education Referral Center, National Institute on Aging “Alzheimer’s Disease Fact Sheet: Introduction” Mar. 19, 2001
52 Ibid.
53 Alzheimer’s Disease and Education Referral Center, National Institute on Aging “Progress Report on Alzheimer’s Disease 1999: The Impact of Alzheimer’s Disease” Mar. 19, 2001
54 Ibid.
55 Alzheimer’s Disease and Education Referral Center, National Institute on Aging “Alzheimer’s Disease Fact Sheet: Treatment” Mar. 19, 2001
56 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke “Seizures and Epilepsy: Hope Through Research” Feb. 21, 2001
57 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke News & Events “White House-Initiated Conference on Epilepsy Emphasizes ‘No Seizures, No Side Effects’,” Natalie Frazin Feb. 21, 2001
58 Ibid.
59 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke “Seizures and Epilepsy: Hope Through Research” Feb. 21, 2001
60 Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine Pain Interest Group Study by Crisp, Terriane Ph.D., Cruce, William Ph.D. and Stuesse, Sherry Ph.D., “Neuropathic Pain” Feb. 21, 2001
61 Ibid.
62 Ibid.
63 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke “Parkinson’s Disease Information Page” March 26, 2001
64 Ibid.
65 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke “Parkinson’s Disease Backgrounder: How Many People Are Affected?” Feb. 21, 2001www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/pubs/parkinson’s_disease_backgrounder.htm
66 Ibid.
67 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke “Parkinson’s Disease Information Page” March 26, 2001
68 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke “Headaches – Hope Through Research” May 16, 2001www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/pubs/headache_htr.htm
69 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke “Headache Information Page: What is the prognosis?” May 16, 2001www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/disorders/headache.htm
70 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke “Headaches – Hope Through Research” May 16, 2001www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/pubs/headache_htr.htm
71 New England Neurology Center for Headache Diagnosis and Management “Headache Helper” May 17, 2001
72 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke “Headache Information Page: What research is being done?” May 16, 2001 www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/disorders/headache.htm
73 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke “Headache Information Page: What is Headache?” May 16, 2001 www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/disorders/headache.htm
74 Ibid.
75 Ibid.
76 Ibid.
77 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke “Migraine Update” May 16, 2001
78 Ibid.
79 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke “Headaches – Hope Through Research” May 16, 2001 www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/pubs/headache_htr.htm
80 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke “Migraine Update” May 16, 2001
81 Ibid.

Mike Kempf
(210) 599-0045
mike@evergreenexhibitions.com

Source: Mike Kempf
http://www.mikekempf.wpengine.com