What is a brain atrophy?
A brain atrophy is colloquially called brain shrinkage. These terms are used to describe a loss of brain tissue due to age or disease. This means that when the loss of brain mass and volume due to the death of nerve cells exceeds the normal level caused by age, a brain atrophy is present.
It is often associated with various neurological diseases. A distinction is made between generalized and focal brain atrophy. In generalized brain atrophy, all areas of the brain are affected. With a focal brain atrophy, only certain areas are affected. Depending on the extent and localization of the atrophy, different symptoms and disorders can occur.
Causes
A brain atrophy can have a variety of causes. It can be triggered by acute and chronic diseases. Acute triggers can be craniocerebral traumas and pronounced strokes.
In these cases there is an acute irreversible death of nerve cells, which can lead to brain atrophy. Among the chronic causative diseases are multiple sclerosis, certain epilepsies, syphilis, AIDS and dementia diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, drug abuse, certain long-term medication and alcoholism can lead to brain atrophy.
Furthermore, various eating disorders can cause brain atrophy due to malnutrition. According to some authors, severe or recurrent depression can also lead to the death of nerve cells and thus to a loss of mass and volume of the brain. Various studies have found that regular alcohol consumption can lead to brain atrophy.
Here, experts speak of the rule of three: Some authors suspect a relationship between the amino acid homocysteine and alcohol-related brain atrophy. The toxic amino acid homocysteine is produced in the body when the amino acid methionine is broken down. An increased concentration of homocysteine in the blood damages the blood vessels.
This can have effects on the heart and the brain. If the brain is no longer supplied with sufficient blood, brain atrophies can occur. In addition, homcysteine occupies certain receptors in the brain and thus prevents physiological regulation.
Finally, this leads to the death of nerve cells. There are various factors and diseases that can lead to increased homocysteine levels. Regular consumption of alcohol can also increase the concentration of homocysteine in the blood.
Since folic acid is the natural antagonist, it can partially relativize the toxic effect of homocysteine. The damage to the brain affects the hippocampus and parts of the frontal brain in particular. Various studies have shown that with abstinence, brain atrophy can be reversible.
This means that it is theoretically possible that more than 100,000 nerve cells can be regenerated per month. However, this is not possible with extreme and continuous alcohol intake. It should also be noted that permanent alcohol consumption favors unforeseeable temporary and permanent, serious damage and diseases of various organs.
- Some 1/3 of those affected do not develop brain atrophy,
- In 1/3, reversible brain atrophy occurs
- And another third develops an irreversible brain atrophy.
A frontal brain atrophy can have various causes. The frontal area corresponds to the region of the brain located behind the forehead. Acute events in this area, such as a severe stroke or severe craniocerebral trauma, can lead to frontal brain atrophy.
In addition, chronic diseases, such as Pick’s disease, can cause atrophy of brain tissue in the forehead and temple area. This condition is also known as frontotemporal dementia. Furthermore, there are subtypes of Alzheimer’s disease that are located in the frontal area and can cause brain atrophy there.
Our next article may also be of interest to you: Craniocerebral traumaA number of studies have shown that multiple sclerosis can lead to brain atrophy and that this causes certain symptoms. Some authors estimate the brain shrinkage per year in a person suffering from multiple sclerosis to be about the size of a tablespoon. This estimate concerns persons whose disease is moderately severe.
For very mild and very severe forms, this figure does not fit. In the meantime, new treatment options have made it possible to reduce brain shrinkage to about a teaspoon.For a long time it was thought that the symptoms and relapses of the disease were due to the damaged myelin sheath. Now, however, it has been discovered that the brain atrophy can cause damage to the gray matter of the brain.
Increased degradation of the nerve cell processes and the synapses causes the symptoms to intensify and progress. Therefore, in addition to preventing the attacks, the reduction of brain atrophy is an essential treatment goal in multiple sclerosis. Since brain atrophy occurs gradually, it is often only noticed when it is already irreversible. For this reason, regular check-ups are absolutely necessary in the presence of multiple sclerosis. The next article might also be of interest to you: Therapy of multiple sclerosis
