Basic Writing Requirements: Note that your essay should meet the following minimum requirements:
- Essay should be formatted as per APA-formatting guidelines, double spacing the assignment, and using a 10 or 12 font size.
- Essay should include a title page, an introduction, and a conclusion.
- The body of the essay should address the different topics and questions described above. Writing should be logical, well-ordered, and insightful.
- Essay should be free of grammatical and spelling errors.
- All statements of fact should be included in an APA reference list at the end of the essay.
- The essay should be a minimum of 750 words in length not including the title page and reference list.
For this assignment you will address the first case study and then choose one of the other two case studies to address in your assignment.
What is a Case Study? “A case study is a narrative used to help you practice real-life analysis and communication skills. It is a learning tool that provides readers with “enough detail…to understand the nature and scope of the problem, and…serve as a springboard for discussion and learning” (O’Rourke, 2007, p. 391).
Use your textbook and academic resources from the Purdue Global Library to support your responses. You can access the Library directly from the Course Resources area for this class, or through the student portal. Be sure to cite and reference all your sources. The Library has a feature that allows you to automatically create an APA formatted reference.
Your assignment should be between 750–1000 words, and all sources must be properly cited using APA format.
CASE STUDY #1 (Required)
Jamal is a contestant on a popular cooking competition. He moves to pull a pot off the stove and accidentally burns his finger. Reflexively, he pulls his hand away from the stove and immediately feels the pain.
- What is the role of the brain and spinal cord in this response?
- Explain the withdrawal reflex that results in Jamal moving his hand away from the stove. List the three types of neurons involved in this response and explain each of their roles.
- Evolutionarily, why do you think the human body has this system in place? Why is this reflex important for our survival? Provide one specific example of what might happen if we didn’t have this system in place.
- Jamal’s wife, Aaliyah, was born with congenital insensitivity to pain, a condition that inhibits the ability to perceive physical pain. Find a reliable source related to congenital insensitivity to pain and address the following questions:
- What is congenital insensitivity to pain?
- What are some of the signs and symptoms of this condition?
- In this week’s reading, you learned about the role of sodium ions in the conduction of nerve impulses. Individuals with congenital insensitivity to pain are unable to make a sodium channel called NaVi.7. How is this related to the signs and symptoms of the disease?
- What might happen if Aaliyah had touched the burner? How would her response be different from Jamal’s?
- What advice would you give to the parent of a child who has this condition and is interested in playing contact sports?
- What would happen if this child experienced a fracture?
CASE STUDY #3
Zaria just celebrated her 26th birthday. During her annual physical exam, Zaria notes that she has not been feeling like herself over the last few months. Her new symptoms include blurred vision, numbness in her fingers and face, dizziness, fatigue, weakness, and depression. Although Zaria believes that these symptoms are related to stress and aging, her physician is concerned and suspects that Zaria may have multiple sclerosis (MS).
- What is MS? Describe the disease, including the general signs and symptoms of the disorder.
- What is the main cell structure affected in MS?
- What is the role of this structure?
- How does the impact of MS on this cell structure help to explain Zaria’s symptoms? Include an explanation of how the action potential of a neuron is affected in MS.
- What is the treatment for multiple sclerosis?
- What is the mechanism of action of the treatment?
- The cause or etiology of MS is not clear. Find a reliable source related to some of the factors that have been associated with the development of multiple sclerosis. Based on your research, what are some of the recent factors scientists have found related to the potential causes of MS? Include the appropriate reference and citation for the source you consulted.
