Archive for the ‘Brain Diseases’ Category

Causes and Symptoms of Vertigo and Dizziness

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

vertigo and dizzinesOne of the most frequent causes of consultation is the dizziness. Vertigo is the sensation of things spinning around each other (objective vertigo) or a tour around things (subjective vertigo).

Dizziness is a feeling of instability, as one walks on cotton, in high and low. These can occur separately or together, and the vast majority of cases are of benign origin, ie, not a brain problem, but on one condition at the ear or vestibular nerve, which is carrying the information from ear to the brain.

The most common causes of vertigo or dizziness of non-cerebral origin (peripheral vestibular syndrome or SVP) are of viral origin (vestibular neuronitis, a viral inflammation of the nerve), at the microscopic mechanical disorders of the ear (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo), by increasing pressure of the endolymph which is a liquid in the internal system of the ear (Meniere’s disease), trauma (vertigo post TEC), infectious (syphilis) and others.

The SVP is often accompanied by severe nausea, vomiting, sweating, cold and long malaise. Depending on the cause, can last a couple of days, or chronic. It is with rest, light food and drugs that decrease the dizziness / vertigo (antivertiginosos) and drugs that reduce nausea (antiemetic) and the prognosis is generally good. (more…)

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The music could improve memory in people with Alzheimer’s

Sunday, May 30th, 2010

The memory of those who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease could benefit thanks to the songs, because people with this disease seem to remember verbal information better if it is provided in a musical context.

In these compelling findings was a team of specialists from the University School of Medicine, Boston, who published his findings in the journal Neuropsychological.

THE BAD MEMORY

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. This chronic disease is strongly associated with age, and irreversibly develops as time passes.

Early symptoms include loss of memory and confusion, but when evil spreads arise personality changes, altered behavior and loss of cognitive abilities. People with this disease often do not recognize family members or have difficulty speaking, reading or doing everyday tasks such as combing hair or bathing. (more…)

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The brains of people who are ‘horrific’ works differently

Wednesday, May 12th, 2010

Some are very handsome, others not so and there’s plenty. But they all have one thing in common: when they look in the mirror, the image that it brings back is of someone ugly and deformed. They are people with body dimorphic disorder, a psychiatric condition that affects an estimated 1% to 2% of the population. A study just to verify that the brains of these individuals react differently to the contemplation of his own face.

The brains of people who are 'horrific' works differentlyExamples of images used in the study. (Photo: Archives of General Psychiatry) Know exactly what happens in the minds of those who suffer the condition is vital to help them move forward and leave behind the anxiety generated by their appearance. Many are unable to lead a normal, half requiring hospitalization at some point in their lives and about 25% attempt suicide.

Research published in the latest issue of Archives of General Psychiatry compared the brain areas were activated in 17 affected and 16 other healthy while viewing a photograph of themselves and another for a famous actor.

To tune a bit more on analysis of visual processing, scientists, University of California (United States) – Digital images were shown in three different resolutions: standard, in a format that highlights the details (spots, profile of the nose and eyes, hair) or a configuration in which only perceived the spatial relationship between different parts of the face and shape of it. (more…)

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A scientific method identifies the memory as your brain activity

Sunday, May 9th, 2010

brain activityThe finding allows us to understand how memories are stored and how they change over time.

One study suggests that it is possible to identify the specific memory that a person is recovering from last episode, only on the pattern of brain activity. The results of work carried out by University College London, UK, published in the online edition of the journal Current Biology.

Explains Eleanor Maguire, head of the study, “we have observed brain activity in search of a specific episodic memory, and examine the trace of real memory. We found that our memories are represented permanently in the hippocampus. Now we’ve seen where they are we have a chance to understand how memories are stored and how they might change over time. “

The results are a continuation of an earlier discovery of the scientific team, which showed that one could identify where he was a person inside a virtual reality room in the same way. (more…)

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Identify Areas of The Brain

Friday, May 7th, 2010

The research, carried out by a Spanish team, was awarded first prize at the III World Congress on Controversies in Neurology.

A group of Spanish researchers has identified the areas in the brain that are impaired when a neurodegenerative process is initiated and appears mild cognitive impairment. “The findings are relevant because they give us clues about the brain areas that we should look to in future make an early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Juan Antonio Hernandez Tamames, director of the Laboratory of Medical Image Analysis and Biometrics URJC center where images were analyzed in the study.

The research, carried out by the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC), in collaboration with Queen Sofia Foundation Alzheimer’s Project and the Department of Basic Psychology, National University of Distance Education (UNED), analyzed a total of 40 patients -18 and 22 healthy subjects with mild cognitive impairment-selected sample of 140 individuals used in the study, three-year Early detection of MCI and progression to Alzheimer’s Disease. Analysis of MCI subtype, markers, and Risk Factors. Patients with cognitive impairment were classified as amnestic, amnestic and multidomain not, ie those with amnesia problems and problems in the execution of daily tasks.

The work, which has received the first prize at the III World Congress on Controversies in Neurology held in the Czech Republic last October, shows that in subjects with mild cognitive impairment amnestic begins turning parahippocampal damage the brain – an area close to the memory and memories in the brain. (more…)

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Brain Arteriovenous Malformations (AVM)

Sunday, April 4th, 2010

Brain Arteriovenous Malformations

Brain Arteriovenous Malformations (AVM) is a disorder of the blood vessels of the brain, in which there is an abnormal connection between arteries and veins without the presence of brain parenchymal capillaries or congenital nature.

AVMs account for between 1 and 8% of the causes of cerebrovascular disease, compared with intracranial tumors together account for 4% and in relation to intracranial aneurysms between 10 and 25%. These data can permit a general occurrence of one case per 100,000 population per year. 93% are supratentorial arteriovenous malformations and 7% are infratentorial. It is more common among 15 to 30 years of age with a 10% mortality and 30-50% morbidity.

Symptoms usually appear only when complications occur, which involve a rupture of arteriovenous malformation resulting in sudden bleeding in the brain, which is known as Hemorrhagic Cerebrovascular Disease, which is specifically what happens when it breaks arteriovenous malformation.

The risk of bleeding from an AVM is approximately 2 to 4%. More than half of patients with arteriovenous malformation hemorrhage presented as a first malformation symptoms. Intracerebral 82% is followed by subarachnoid hemorrhage, intraventricular and subdural. The annual risk of cerebral hemorrhage was included in studies and depends mainly on the size of the arteriovenous malformation and the patient’s age. Small AVMs are more prone to bleeding because they have more pressure. But the great are more epileptogenic by increased cortical involvement.

If you have symptoms before the rupture of the arteriovenous malformation, these are caused by a small and slow bleeding of abnormal blood vessels, which are often fragile because of their unusual structure and is usually headache, seizures and other sudden neurological problems.

It is recommended that all patients with vascular headache with atypical features that do not respond to medication prescribed by the doctor is suspected of this condition and proceed to perform diagnostic studies to confirm the same as it is known that once displayed bleeding complications, the prognosis is worse.

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