Synaesthesia, or synesthesia in American English, is a neurological phenomenon wherein the activation of one sense (via a sensory or cognitive pathway) causes the involuntary activation of a second, unrelated sense (via another sensory or cognitive pathway) at the same time. For example, hearing a particular music note may trigger a person with synaesthesia to…
Sciatica
The sciatic nerve has the largest diameter of all the nerves in the human body. It originates in the lower spinal cord and extends all the way down through the hip, buttock and posterior part of the thigh before branching out above the knee joint and continuing down to the foot. Sciatica is not a…
What’s in a Tumour?
The body of a living organism is made up of cells. A cell’s life cycle involves dividing to generate new cells that replace the older ones which eventually die. The rate at which regeneration occurs and the lifespan of a given cell depends on its location and function in the body. For instance, epithelial cells…
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neuro-developmental disorder that is usually diagnosed during childhood. Although it is more commonly diagnosed in boys, this is mostly because boys tend to show their symptoms more, externally. However, there is no evidence to suggest that actual incidence is higher in males than in females. Sometimes, symptoms may…
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
Premenstrual syndrome, or PMS as it is more commonly known, is a condition that affects every three in four menstruating women at some point in their lifetime. Symptoms are generally mild in about 75% of affected women, but may be more severe in others. Symptoms may surface any time between five days to a couple…
Transverse Myelitis
Transverse myelitis (TM) is a neurological disorder that affects around 1-8 per million people annually. It involves inflammation of the spinal cord, which is made up of neurons (nerve cells) responsible for carrying nerve impulses between the brain and the rest of the body. ‘Transverse’ refers to the spinal cord being affected across a particular…
Encephalitis
Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain tissue that causes the brain to become swollen. It is not a very common condition and, on average, affects about 10-15 individuals per 100,000 annually. The condition can be life threatening and therefore requires immediate medical attention. Encephalitis more commonly affects small children than adults. Older people are…
Vitamin D and the Human Body
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is present in two forms – D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol). It is also casually referred to as the ‘sunshine vitamin’ as both forms are naturally produced in organisms in the presence of the sun’s ultraviolet-B (UV-B) rays. Vitamin D2 is produced in plants and fungi, while D3…
Tourette Syndrome
Tourette Syndrome Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a type of neurological disorder that is characterised by the occurrence of tics. Tics are impulsive movements/twitches in the body or vocal sounds that occur due to sudden, repetitive muscular contraction. While not technically being ‘involuntary’, tics are often referred to as an involuntary act as they are difficult…
Laryngitis
The larynx, or voice box, is an organ found in the upper region at the back of the throat that contains the vocal cords which are responsible for the vocal sounds that we make. The vocal cords comprise of two membranous folds that ideally open and close smoothly and create sounds with their movement and…
The Bio Log 