Brain diseases: Types, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention
Brain diseases come in many types, including accidents, infections, brain tumors, and dementia. They can impair your capacity to function and do daily tasks.The outcomes vary widely depending on the type of brain disease, its location, and the severity of the condition.
Your brain is a highly sophisticated organ that contains between 86 billion and 100 billion nerve cells. It can process information at speeds of up to 350 mph. However, many disorders, such as infections, traumas, strokes, seizures, and tumors, can have an impact on your brain's health and ability to function. Here's a summary of the symptoms to look out for.
Also Read: High Cholesterol: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment and Prevention
What are brain diseases?
Your brain is your body's control center. It controls growth, development, and bodily functions. All of your feelings, thoughts, and actions start there.The brain is part of your nervous system. Your spinal cord and brain receive information from your body and the outside world via a network of nerves. Your brain interprets the impulses and sends them back out via your spinal cord and nerves.
A wide range of disorders and conditions affect the brain. They may alter a person's behavior, personality, and ability to comprehend information and function. Many brain diseases impact a person's ability to carry out daily activities.
What are the different types of brain disease?
There are many types of brain diseases, numbering in the hundreds. Brain diseases are classified into the following general categories:Autoimmune neurological diseases:
Autoimmune brain diseases develop when your body's defenses attack a portion of your brain, mistaking it for an enemy. MS is the most prominent of these. Nerve cells, like electrical wires, are covered by insulation. Multiple sclerosis attacks the brain, spinal cord, and nerves leading to the eyes. There are less common autoimmune brain diseases that mimic MS. Others, such as autoimmune encephalitis, irritate the brain, resulting in confusion and involuntary movements.
Epilepsy is the tendency to have seizures. A seizure is an electrical storm in your brain that usually interrupts consciousness and causes convulsions. Some seizures are modest, affecting just a clouding of awareness or uncontrolled movement of just one body part.
Infection:
Infections develop when germs invade the brain or its protective coverings. Meningitis occurs when your protective coverings become inflamed. It frequently causes headaches, disorientation, and an extremely stiff neck. A spinal tap may be necessary to find out which germ is causing the infection so that appropriate antibiotics can be administered.
Mental illness:
Mental, behavioral, and emotional disorders can impair an individual's quality of life and capacity to operate. Major types include:
- Bipolar Disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Schizophrenia
Psychiatrists and psychologists typically treat mental diseases. If your brain were a computer (which it is in some ways), it would function similarly to a program. In other words, your mind functions as the brain's "operating system." Psychiatrists and psychologists are similar to computer programmers in that they try to figure out why a program is causing distress rather than working as it should.
Medication and therapy are frequently used in conjunction to manage conditions. People are sometimes hesitant to consult a mental health professional. However, they shouldn't be. Mental illness impacts one in every five adults.
Neurodegenerative brain diseases:
Neurodegenerative disorders are frequently caused by an accumulation of abnormal proteins in the brain. They include Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), among others. They often progress slowly and interfere with thought, memory, movement, or a mix of these. They are more common among the elderly. Some run in families.
Neurodevelopmental disorders:
Neurodevelopmental diseases influence the growth and development of the brain and are typically treated by pediatric neurologists. Medical geneticists can determine whether a disorder is likely to be inherited. If it is, they offer family counseling. There are a large number of neurodevelopmental disorders, including:
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
- Autism spectrum disorder.
- Dyslexia.
Stroke:
Strokes occur when the blood vessel that supplies nutrition to your brain gets blocked or, less frequently, breaks. Regardless, the consequences are sudden. A stroke causes damage to a section of your brain. This can cause problems with speech, understanding, vision, strength, sensation, and coordination. Dementia can occur if one or more strokes cause substantial damage to the brain. Strokes can sometimes cause seizures.
Traumatic brain injuries:
Concussions are a type of traumatic brain injury, as are more serious brain injuries like gunshot wounds. Falls, traffic accidents, sports injuries, and domestic violence (including child abuse) can all cause brain damage. Repeated head trauma can induce brain damage, resulting in chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Neurosurgeons may treat piercing injuries and bleeding. Psychologists, psychiatrists, and speech therapists may be consulted for behavioral and cognitive issues following a brain injury. Neurologists often care for the injured as well.
Tumors:
Brain tumors from when cancer spreads to other parts of the body, such as the lung, breast, or colon. Alternatively, they can form in your brain tissue or its coverings.
Unlike tumors that spread throughout your body, tumors that form in your brain or its coverings are considered benign if they develop slowly and do not infiltrate surrounding brain tissue. They are deemed malignant if they grow rapidly and infiltrate nearby brain tissue.
Astrocytoma is a common brain tumor. Meningioma is a frequent tumor that develops from the coverings of the brain.
How common is brain disease?
Many people suffer from brain illnesses, yet the prevalence of each condition varies greatly:
- Alzheimer's disease affects over 6 million people.
- Autism spectrum disorder affects around one out of every 44 children.
- Brain tumors and associated nervous system cancers are rare, accounting for only 1.3% of all cancers.
- Epilepsy impacts 1.2 percent of the population, including 3 million adults and 470,000 children.
- Meningitis is rare due to the widespread use of the meningitis vaccine. In 2019, just 371 instances were reported.
- Mental illnesses are extremely frequent, impacting one in every five persons.
- Multiple sclerosis affects nearly a million people.
- Strokes affect about 800,000 people each year.
- In 2018, more than 220,000 people were hospitalized due to traumatic brain injuries.
What causes brain disease?
Some common causes and risk factors for brain disease include:- Environmental toxins and radiation: Long-term exposure to hazardous chemicals and radiation may increase the risk of some brain diseases, such as brain tumours.
- Genetics: A variety of brain diseases can be caused or exacerbated by specific genes and genetic alterations. Researchers have discovered genes or particular mutations that cause brain tumors, epilepsy, neurodegenerative disorders, neurodevelopmental problems, and mental illnesses. Disease-causing genes can run in families or arise spontaneously.
- Immune system function: Autoimmune brain diseases occur when the immune system attacks other cells in the body.
- Infections: Bacteria, viruses, and other organisms can cause brain disorders like meningitis.
- Injuries and accidents: are the leading causes of traumatic brain injury. A brain injury can also increase your risk of developing other brain diseases, including epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease.
- Unhealthy lifestyle: choices include a poor diet, a lack of exercise, smoking, and alcohol consumption, which have been related to stroke and Alzheimer's disease.
What are the symptoms of brain disease?
Your brain controls all of your biological functions. If your brain is injured or diseased, any of these functions may be compromised, depending on the type, location, and severity of the issue. You may have general symptoms, like:- Nausea and vomiting
- Seizures
- Unconsciousness
- Balance
- Behavior
- Breathing
- Coordination
- Focus
- Memory
- Mood
- Movement
- Personality
- Physical sensations
- Speech
- Swallowing
- Vision
- Strength
How are brain diseases diagnosed?
The history and physical exam are the most critical steps in the diagnostic process. The neurologic exam is the primary focus of the physical examination. It involves motor, sensory, reflex, and cognitive assessments. The results of this examination indicate what extra tests may be required.Other tests could include:
- Biopsy: Your healthcare provider collects a small sample of tissue for laboratory testing. Biopsies can evaluate whether a brain tumor is malignant or not.
- Diagnostic testing may include an electroencephalogram (EEG) to assess your brain's electrical activity. Evoked potential testing evaluates the passage of nerve signals to the brain.
- Imaging tests: CT, MRI, and PET scans produce detailed images of the brain. They are capable of detecting brain activity as well as diseased or damaged areas.
- Laboratory tests: Your healthcare provider can use blood, urine, stool, or spinal fluid testing to determine what is causing your symptoms. Genetic testing can detect gene variants that are known to cause certain brain diseases.
- Mental function tests: You can take these tests on paper or on the computer. These enable your healthcare professional to assess your memory, thinking, and problem-solving ability.
- Neurological exam: Your doctor will look for changes in your balance, coordination, hearing, eye movement, speech, and reflexes.
How are brain disorders treated?
Beyond prevention, treatment differs according to the type of disorder. Some disorders are curable. Others are treatable but not curable (for example, taking drugs to reduce Parkinson's disease symptoms or prevent seizures). Others must be addressed (for example, using a cane or walker to help with balance disorder).Your healthcare provider can use the following treatments:
- Counseling and cognitive behavioral therapy can help manage mental health issues and provide emotional support.
- Diet, exercise, and stress management can help to reduce symptoms of illnesses like Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis, as well as prevent stroke recurrence.
- Medications to treat the condition and alleviate symptoms.
- A burst blood vessel can be repaired via minimally invasive endovascular surgery.
- Physical, occupational, or speech therapy might help you restore lost abilities.
- Rest will help your brain repair.
- Surgery is used to treat internal bleeding, remove a brain tumor, or prevent epileptic episodes.
Prevention:
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." A good diet and exercise, as well as managing physical conditions (such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol), and getting vaccinated against brain and nervous system infections, can help you avoid preventable brain sickness.Here are some general tips that may decrease your risk of avoidable brain diseases:
- Developing a healthy lifestyle. This includes eating a heart-healthy diet, getting regular exercise, stopping smoking, limiting consumption of alcohol, and reducing stress.
- Avoiding excessive exposure to X-rays and other forms of radiation.
- Getting you and your loved ones immunized against bacterial meningitis.
- Recognizing the symptoms of a stroke and seeking prompt emergency medical care.
- Managing chronic health issues such as hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity.
- Preventing falls, using a seatbelt, and wearing a helmet when riding or participating in contact sports can all help to lower your risk of head trauma.
- Staying mentally and socially engaged.
References:
- National Institute of Mental Health. Mental Illness (https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness). 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.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Traumatic Brain Injury and Concussion (https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/index.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.
- Alzheimer’s Association. Facts and Figures (https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/facts-figures). Accessed 4/26/2022.
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