Small vessel disease and atrophy of the brain. A neurologist explains. How to protect your brain?
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12 ماه پیش
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The natural aging process is
The natural aging process is the most common cause of mild "non-specific white spots" (non-specific white matter disease) on an MRI scan. It can also be caused by small vessel disease, which is also known as subcortical white matter disease, chronic ischemic microvascular changes, chronic microangiopathic changes, or white matter hyperintensities (leukoaraiosis).
What is the white matter?
The white matter is a part of the brain that consists of bundles of nerve fibers. These fibers are typically white or near-white in color due to the layer that covers them. Within these areas of the brain, there are small and delicate vessels that can easily become blocked or damaged, resulting in a white appearance on an MRI (T2/FLAIR) or a darker appearance on a CT scan. This leads to a decrease in blood supply, which is not ideal as severe acute deficiencies can cause permanent cell death, known as infarction of the brain. This is commonly referred clinically to as an ischemic stroke due to small vessel disease. In less severe cases, usually with slow progression, it may lead to dementia (vascular dementia), walking or balance issues, apathy, depression, sleep disturbances, urinary symptoms, and technically, parkinsonism, even though there is some controversy about “pure” vascular parkinsonism.
*Most common risk factors for the MRI "white spots" in your brain:
High blood pressure, diabetes, high "bad cholesterol", obesity. Just to give you an idea, the obesity prevalence in the US was 41.9 % in 2017.
https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adul...
Smoking
Head trauma
Migraine??
Some less common disorders can affect the brain's white matter. These include but are not limited to autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis, which can display varying patterns, locations, and morphology. Additionally, a past brain infection may lead to white matter disease, as can rare genetic disorders.
--------------------
Read “My Cholesterol Guide” by AHA. The link is in the description of this video.
https://www.heart.org/-/media/Files/H...
Dr. Z
I am a board-certified internist and neurologist certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. I completed a fellowship in Movement Disorders and Neuro Critical Care. Prior to attending medical school, I worked as a physical therapist for three years (Former NJ and PR licensed physical therapist).
What is the white matter?
The white matter is a part of the brain that consists of bundles of nerve fibers. These fibers are typically white or near-white in color due to the layer that covers them. Within these areas of the brain, there are small and delicate vessels that can easily become blocked or damaged, resulting in a white appearance on an MRI (T2/FLAIR) or a darker appearance on a CT scan. This leads to a decrease in blood supply, which is not ideal as severe acute deficiencies can cause permanent cell death, known as infarction of the brain. This is commonly referred clinically to as an ischemic stroke due to small vessel disease. In less severe cases, usually with slow progression, it may lead to dementia (vascular dementia), walking or balance issues, apathy, depression, sleep disturbances, urinary symptoms, and technically, parkinsonism, even though there is some controversy about “pure” vascular parkinsonism.
*Most common risk factors for the MRI "white spots" in your brain:
High blood pressure, diabetes, high "bad cholesterol", obesity. Just to give you an idea, the obesity prevalence in the US was 41.9 % in 2017.
https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adul...
Smoking
Head trauma
Migraine??
Some less common disorders can affect the brain's white matter. These include but are not limited to autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis, which can display varying patterns, locations, and morphology. Additionally, a past brain infection may lead to white matter disease, as can rare genetic disorders.
--------------------
Read “My Cholesterol Guide” by AHA. The link is in the description of this video.
https://www.heart.org/-/media/Files/H...
Dr. Z
I am a board-certified internist and neurologist certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. I completed a fellowship in Movement Disorders and Neuro Critical Care. Prior to attending medical school, I worked as a physical therapist for three years (Former NJ and PR licensed physical therapist).
12 ماه پیش
در تاریخ 1402/05/21 منتشر شده
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