A friend of mine has a very bad case of restless leg syndrome. After I barely missed being repeatedly smacked by her seemingly uncontrollable movements, I realized that it would be very interesting to figure out what caused this and what other implications it may have. I found out some very interesting details. Restless Leg Syndrome is thought to be related to imbalances of brain chemicals such as dopamine and natural opiates. It is thought to also be hereditary and harmless. It is a neurological condition that people know relatively little about. Apparently, it feels like a very uncomfortable and tightening sensation in the legs. Movement provides comfort, but when not moving, (especially when sleeping) it can quite uncomfortable. There is not a known cure or cause for this, but Parkinson's medication can provide some relief. When Restless Leg Syndrome is affecting a person, the movement in their legs can distract them from everything around them and make it impossible to concentrate. For some people, any small amount of time they are not moving can cause their legs to become restless, not just when they are sleeping. Because a person is so active at night, RLS can affect the amount and quality of sleep a person has, which impacts the rest of their life, also potentially leading to insomnia. Bathing in very hot water can also provide some relief. Regardless of the potential ways to soothe this condition, it can never be fully cured, and causes much irritation to anyone who has it.
I thought this was a very interesting condition that relates to certain things about the brain that we have covered in class. Enjoy, and if you know anyone with this condition, now you can share information with them!
Wow, this is actually really interesting. It didn't seem like it would be a real thing. I thought it was just something she did in her sleep, like some sort of movement, the fact that it is an actual thing-something with the brain, is very interesting!
ReplyDeleteI really like how you related this to your friends restless leg syndrome. I find it really cool when we can relate something so easily to what we are learning about in psychology. I think this is because the study areas of psychology are a main driving force in our life, especially what is happening in our brain.
ReplyDeleteThis is really cool. Isn't it interesting how one little thing can make such a difference in someone's life? Like, if you have restless leg syndrome, which is seemingly harmless, but then you can never sleep/have insomnia, and then you go your days tired.. it can lead to some other health problems.
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