Brain Diseases
There are many types of brain
diseases, ranging from injuries and infections to brain tumors and dementia.
They can impact your ability to function and carry out daily activities.
Outcomes vary widely depending on the type of brain disease, location and severity
of the condition.
Types of Brain
Disorders
·
Epilepsy and Other Seizure Disorders
·
Parkinson’s and Other Movement Disorders
·
Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
OVERVIEW
What are brain diseases?
Your brain is the control
center of your body. It regulates growth, development and bodily functions. All
of your thoughts, feelings and actions begin there.
Your brain is part of
your nervous system.
A network of nerves carries signals to your spinal cord and brain
from your body and the outside world. Your brain processes the signals and
sends responses back out through your spinal cord and nerves.
A wide range of
diseases and disorders affect your brain. They can alter a person’s behavior,
personality and their ability to process information and function. Many brain
diseases impact a person’s capacity to carry out daily activities.
What are the types of
brain diseases?
There are many types,
including hundreds, of rare brain diseases. The general categories of brain
diseases include:
Autoimmune brain diseases
Autoimmune
brain diseases occur when your body’s defenses attack a part of your brain,
mistaking it for an invader. Multiple
sclerosis (MS) is the most prominent of these. Like electrical wires, nerve
cells have insulation covering them. Multiple sclerosis attacks this in your
brain, spinal cord and the nerves going to your eyes. There are less common autoimmune
brain diseases that mimic MS. There are others, like autoimmune encephalitis, which
irritate your brain, causing confusion and involuntary movements.
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a tendency to have seizures. A seizure is an electrical
storm in your brain, typically interfering with consciousness and causing
convulsions (uncontrolled movements). Some seizures can be subtle — only
causing clouding of consciousness or uncontrolled movements of one part of your
body.
Infections
Infections
occur when various types of germs invade your brain or its protective
coverings. Meningitis happens when your
protective coverings are infected. It often causes headaches, confusion and a
very stiff neck. Sometimes, it’s necessary to do a spinal tap to find out which germ is
causing an infection so the right antibiotics can
be given.
Mental illness
Mental,
behavioral and emotional disorders can diminish a person’s quality of life and
ability to function. Major types include:
- Anxiety.
- Bipolar disorder.
- Depression.
- Post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD).
- Schizophrenia.
Psychiatrists
and psychologists generally treat mental illnesses. If your brain were a
computer (and in some ways, it is), your mind would be like a program running
in it. In other words, your mind is your brain’s “operating system.”
Psychiatrists and psychologists are like computer programmers who try to figure
out why this program is causing distress instead of working as it should.
Often,
treatment involves both medications and therapy. People are sometimes hesitant
to see a mental health specialist. But they shouldn’t be. Mental illness
affects 1 in 5 adults.
Neurodegenerative brain diseases
Neurodegenerative
disorders are often due to the accumulation of abnormal proteins in your brain.
They include
·
Parkinson’s disease and
·
ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis),
among many others.
They’re most often slowly progressive and interfere with
thought, memory, movement or some combination of these things. They’re more
common in the elderly. Some run in families.
Neurodevelopmental disorders
Neurodevelopmental
disorders affect the growth and development of your brain, and are usually
cared for by pediatric neurologists. Medical geneticists may determine whether
a disorder is likely to be inherited. If it is, they provide family counseling.
There are a large number of neurodevelopmental disorders, including:
- Attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
- Autism spectrum
disorder.
- Dyslexia.
Stroke
Strokes occur
when a blood vessel supplying your brain with the nutrients it needs gets
blocked or, less often, bursts. Either way, the effects are sudden. Stroke
damages part of your brain. This can lead to problems with speech,
understanding, vision, strength, sensation or coordination. If enough of your
brain is damaged by one or more strokes, it can cause dementia. Occasionally, seizures occur
due to strokes.
Traumatic brain injuries
Traumatic brain injuries include concussions and more serious brain
injuries such as gunshot wounds. Brain injury may happen due to falls, auto
accidents, sports injuries or domestic violence (including child abuse).
Repeated head trauma can cause brain scarring, leading to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Neurosurgeons may care for penetrating
injuries and bleeding. Psychologists, psychiatrists and speech therapists may
be consulted for behavioral and thinking problems after brain injuries. Neurologists often care for the
injured as well.
Tumors
Brain tumors can develop when cancer spreads
from other parts of your body, such as your lung, breast or colon. Or they can
form in your brain tissue itself or its coverings.
Unlike
tumors spreading from other places in your body, tumors arising in your brain
itself or brain coverings are considered benign if they grow slowly and don’t
invade surrounding brain tissue. They’re considered malignant if they grow
rapidly and invade surrounding brain tissue.
Astrocytoma
is a common tumor arising from your brain itself. Meningioma is a common tumor arising
from the coverings of your brain.
How common are brain diseases?
Brain
diseases affect many people, but the occurrence of individual diseases varies
widely. For example, in the U.S.:
- Alzheimer’s disease affects more than 6
million people.
- Autism spectrum disorder occurs in about
1 in 44 children.
- Brain tumors and other nervous system
cancers are relatively rare, accounting for 1.3% of all cancers.
- Epilepsy impacts 1.2% of the population,
including 3 million adults and 470,000 children.
- Meningitis is rare due to widespread use
of the meningitis vaccine. In 2019, only 371 cases were reported.
- Mental illness is very common, affecting
1 in 5 adults.
- Multiple sclerosis is a condition nearly
1 million people are living with.
- Strokes occur in nearly 800,000 people
each year.
- Traumatic brain injuries caused over
220,000 hospitalizations in 2018.
SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES
What causes brain diseases?
Some
common causes and risk factors of brain disease are:
- Environmental
toxins and radiation: Long-term exposure to toxic
chemicals and radiation may increase the risk of some brain diseases, such
as brain tumors.
- Genetics: Certain
genes and genetic mutations can cause or increase the risk of many brain
diseases. Researchers have identified genes or specific mutations involved
in brain tumors, epilepsy, neurodegenerative disorders, neurodevelopmental
disorders and mental illnesses. Disease-causing genes may run in families
or occur spontaneously.
- Immune system
function: Autoimmune brain diseases happen when your immune
system attacks other cells in your body.
- Infections: Bacteria,
viruses and other organisms cause brain diseases such as meningitis.
- Injuries: Accidents
and injuries cause most traumatic brain injuries. An injury to your brain
can also increase your risk for other brain diseases, such as epilepsy and
Alzheimer’s disease.
- Unhealthy
lifestyle choices: Poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking and
alcohol use are linked to stroke and Alzheimer’s disease.
Healthcare
providers aren’t sure why some types of brain diseases happen. For example,
about 60% of epilepsy cases have no known cause (idiopathic). Researchers are
actively investigating diseases of the brain to better understand their causes
and how to treat them.
What
are the symptoms of brain disease?
Your
brain controls all of your bodily functions. If your brain is injured or
diseased, any of those functions can be impacted depending on the type,
location and severity of the condition. You may experience general symptoms,
such as:
- Fever.
- Headaches.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Seizures.
- Unconsciousness.
Brain
diseases may also show up as changes in:
- Balance.
- Behavior.
- Breathing.
- Coordination.
- Focus.
- Memory.
- Mood.
- Movement.
- Personality.
- Physical sensations.
- Speech.
- Strength.
- Swallowing.
- Vision.
When in
doubt, contact your healthcare provider.
DIAGNOSIS AND TESTS
How
are brain diseases diagnosed?
The
most important step in diagnosis is the history and physical exam. During the physical
exam, the emphasis is on the neurologic exam. It includes motor, sensory,
reflex and thinking tests. The findings of this examination direct what other
tests may be needed.
Other
testing may include:
- Biopsy: Your
healthcare provider collects a small sample of tissue for laboratory
analysis. Biopsies help determine whether a brain tumor is
cancerous or noncancerous.
- Diagnostic
testing: These
can include an electroencephalogram (EEG) to measure your
brain’s electrical activity. Evoked potentials testing assesses
the transmission of nerve signals to your brain.
- Imaging tests: CT, MRI and PET scans
provide detailed images of your brain. They can detect brain activity and
areas of disease or damage.
- Laboratory
tests: Blood,
urine, stool or spinal fluid testing can help your healthcare
provider understand what might be causing your symptoms. Genetic testing
can identify gene mutations known to cause some brain diseases.
- Mental function
tests: You
complete these tests on paper or on a computer. These allow your
healthcare provider to evaluate your memory, thinking and problem-solving
abilities.
- Neurological
exam: Your
healthcare provider will check for changes in your balance, coordination,
hearing, eye movement, speech and reflexes.
MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT
How are brain diseases treated?
Beyond
prevention, treatment varies with the kind of disorder. Some disorders can be
cured (for example, taking an antibiotic for meningitis or removing a tumor).
Others can be treated, but not cured (such as taking medications to control the
symptoms of Parkinson’s disease or to prevent seizures). Others must be
accommodated to (such as using a cane or walker to cope with some balance
disorders).
Treatments
your healthcare provider may use include:
- Counseling and
cognitive behavior therapy to manage mental health concerns
and provide emotional support.
- Diet, exercise
and stress management to improve symptoms of some
conditions such as Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis, and prevent
recurrence of stroke.
- Medications to treat
the disease and manage symptoms.
- Minimally
invasive endovascular surgery to repair a burst blood vessel.
- Physical,
occupational or speech therapy to regain lost abilities.
- Rest to help
your brain heal.
- Surgery to stop
internal bleeding, remove a brain tumor or prevent epileptic seizures.
PREVENTION
How
can I prevent brain diseases?
“An
ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” A healthy diet and activity,
along with controlling medical illnesses (such as high blood pressure,
diabetes, and high cholesterol), and making sure you’re vaccinated against
infections of the brain and nervous system can avoid preventable brain illness.
Here
are some general guidelines that may reduce your risk for preventable brain
diseases:
- Adopting a healthy lifestyle. This
includes a heart-healthy diet, regular exercise, quitting
smoking, limiting alcohol consumption and reducing stress.
- Avoiding excessive exposure to X-rays
and other sources of radiation.
- Ensuring you and your loved ones are
vaccinated against bacterial meningitis.
- Knowing the warning signs of a stroke
and seeking immediate emergency medical care.
- Managing chronic health conditions, such
as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity.
- Reducing your risk of head trauma by
preventing falls, wearing your seatbelt and wearing a helmet when cycling
or playing contact sports.
- Staying mentally and socially active.
OUTLOOK / PROGNOSIS
What
is the prognosis for people with brain disease?
Some brain
diseases will heal without permanent damage. Others may resolve but leave
deficiencies in your mental or physical abilities. Some are lifelong,
progressive conditions. Your healthcare provider will work with you to manage
your symptoms and help you preserve or regain as much function as possible.
LIVING WITH
When
should I contact my healthcare provider?
Early
treatment for brain injuries and diseases is essential. Have your healthcare
provider check out any head injuries, even minor ones. Also, notify your
healthcare provider if you experience any unusual changes in your:
- Behavior, mood or personality.
- Memory and ability to focus.
- Physical function, including movement,
balance and coordination.
- Speech.
- Vision.
Call 1122 if you have any warning signs of a stroke. These
are usually painless and cause sudden changes such as:
- Altered speech (slurring or confusion)
or difficulty understanding others.
- Difficulty seeing in one or both eyes.
- Headache.
- Loss of balance, coordination or ability
to walk.
- Weakness or numbness in your face, arm
or leg, especially on one side.
References
- Alzheimer’s Association. Facts and Figures. (https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/facts-figures) Accessed
4/26/2022.
- Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. Data & Statistics
on Autism Spectrum Disorder. (https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html) Accessed
4/26/2022.
- Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. Meningococcal Disease:
Surveillance. (https://www.cdc.gov/meningococcal/surveillance/index.html) Accessed
4/26/2022.
- Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. Stroke Facts. (https://www.cdc.gov/stroke/facts.htm) Accessed
4/26/2022.
- Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. Traumatic Brain Injury
and Concussion. (https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/index.html) Accessed
4/26/2022.
- National Cancer Institute. Cancer Stat Facts: Brain and Other Nervous
System Cancer. (https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/brain.html) Accessed
4/26/2022.
- National Institute of Mental Health. Mental Illness. (https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness) Accessed
4/26/2022.
- National Multiple Sclerosis Society. MS Prevalence. (https://www.nationalmssociety.org/About-the-Society/MS-Prevalence) Accessed
4/26/2022.
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