Wallenberg's Syndrome - Also called Lateral medullary syndrome and posterior inferior cerebellar artery syndrome, is a disease in which the patient has difficulty with swallowing or speaking or both owing to one or more patches of dead tissue caused by interrupted blood supply to parts of the brain. This syndrome is characterized by sensory deficits affecting the trunk and extremities on the opposite side of the infarct and sensory and motor deficits affecting the face and cranial nerves on the same side with the infarct. Other clinical symptoms and findings are ataxia, facial pain, vertigo, nystagmus, Horner's syndrome, diplopia and dysphagia.
Werdnig-Hoffman Disease - (also known as "Infantile spinal muscular atrophy", "spinal muscular atrophy type 1", or "spinal muscular atrophy type I") is an autosomal recessive muscular disease. It is the most severe form of spinal muscular atrophy. Werdnig-Hoffman affects the lower motor neurons only. It has been linked to an abnormal survival motor neuron (SMN) gene. It is evident before birth or within the first few months of life. There may be a reduction in fetal movement in the final months of pregnancy. Symptoms include floppiness of the limbs and trunk, feeble movements of the arms and legs, swallowing and feeding difficulties, and impaired breathing. Affected children never sit or stand unassisted and will require respiratory support to survive before the age of 2.
Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome - Wernicke's encephalopathy is a degenerative brain disorder caused by the lack of thiamine (vitamin B1). It may result from alcohol abuse, dietary deficiencies, prolonged vomiting, eating disorders, or the effects of chemotherapy. Symptoms include mental confusion, vision impairment, stupor, coma, hypothermia, hypotension, and ataxia. Korsakoff's amnesic syndrome-a memory disorder-also results from a deficiency of thiamine, and is associated with alcoholism.
West Syndrome - otherwise known as infantile spasms, is an uncommon to rare and serious form of epilepsy in infants. The syndrome is age-related, generally occurring between the third and the twelfth month, generally manifesting around the fifth month. There are various causes ("polyetiology"). The syndrome is often caused by an organic brain dysfunction whose origins may be prenatal, perinatal (caused during birth) or postnatal. Lots of different brain disorders create the same symptom of West Syndrome.
Whiplash - is the common name for neck sprains, such as those caused by hyper extension/flexion injury to the cervical, thoracic or lumbar spines. The injury is referred to as "whiplash" due to the neck or back being thrown forwards and/or backwards at a rapid speed. This may cause the fibres of the neck muscles to tear, resulting in pain and often a decreased range of movement.
Whipple's Disease - is a rare infectious disease that typically infects the bowel. It causes malabsorption primarily but may affect any part of the body including the heart, lungs, brain, joints, and eyes. It interferes with the body's ability to absorb certain nutrients. Whipple's disease causes weight loss, incomplete breakdown of carbohydrates or fats, and malfunctions of the immune system. When recognized and treated, Whipple's disease can usually be cured. Untreated, the disease may be fatal.
Williams Syndrome - (Williams-Beuren syndrome) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by a distinctive, "elfin" facial appearance, along with a low nasal bridge; an unusually cheerful demeanor and ease with strangers, coupled with unpredictably occurring negative outbursts, mental retardation coupled with unusual language skills, a love for music, and cardiovascular problems, such as supravalvular aortic stenosis and transient hypercalcaemia.
Wilson's Disease - (WD) is a rare inherited disorder in which excessive amounts of copper accumulate in the body. The buildup of copper leads to damage in the kidneys, brain, and eyes. Although copper accumulation begins at birth, symptoms of the disorder appear later in life. The most characteristic symptom of WD is the Kayser-Fleisher ring – a rusty brown ring around the cornea of the eye. WD requires lifelong treatment, generally using drugs to remove excess copper from the body and to prevent it from re-accumulating.
Wolman’s Disease - (also known as Wolman's syndrome, and acid lipase deficiency) is a rare lipid storage disease that is usually fatal at a very young age. Infants may be normal and active at birth but quickly develop progressive mental deterioration, hepatosplenomegaly, distended abdomen, gastrointestinal problems including steatorrhea, jaundice, anemia, vomiting and calcium deposits in the adrenal glands, causing them to harden.
Alphabetical list of Neurological Disorder Definitions.
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