Encephalopathies are a general term for chronic or permanent brain damage. Encephalopathies can be a complication of numerous diseases (including those during pregnancy), poisoning or head injuries. Regardless of the causes of encephalopathy, she leads, inter alia, to to loss of motor functions or intellectual abilities. Find out which diseases and injuries can lead to encephalopathy.

Encephalopathiesis a general term for chronic or permanent damage to brain structures by factors of various origins. The consequence of this process is the loss of motor functions and / or intellectual abilities, which are joined by other abnormal neurological symptoms from the central nervous system.

Congenital encephalopathies

1. After the perinatal injury

  • mechanical - pressure, breach of continuity or rupture of the skin;
  • physical - changes and fluctuations in intrauterine pressure;

2. After fetal infections

  • cytomegalovirus - if the infection occurs in the first trimester of pregnancy, a miscarriage or numerous birth defects may occur in the child. If the fetus becomes infected later, the child may be born with symptoms of congenital cytomegalovirus (hepatitis, pneumonia, encephalitis);
  • rubella during pregnancy causes serious defects in the fetus, such as mental retardation, hydrocephalus, deafness, bone deformities, heart defects;
  • toxoplasmosis - the most dangerous infection is in the first trimester, as it may result in miscarriage. Infection in the second trimester may result in defects of the nervous system and the eye, and in the third trimester with anemia or enlargement of the liver;
  • hepatitis B - infection of a child during pregnancy means that he will develop chronic hepatitis B, with the risk of cirrhosis or chronic malignant hepatitis;
  • herpes - if infected before the 20th week of pregnancy, miscarriage may result. There are also possible defects of the fetus: small eyes, microcephaly, hydrocephalus, and even damage to the central nervous system. Infection in the third trimester increases the risk of premature birth. If the mother's genitalia is infected, the risk of herpes infection during delivery increases. Then the infection in the newborn canmanifest with pneumonia, meningitis and inflammation of the brain;
  • chickenpox - 5-6% in cases of transplacental infection with the varicella virus in the first trimester of pregnancy. newborns develop congenital pox syndrome (microcephaly, cerebellar hypoplasia, hydrocephalus, inhibition of sensorimotor development);

3. After pregnancy poisoning

The causes of pregnancy poisoning (gestosis) are unknown. It is known, however, that some factors may increase the risk of its occurrence, incl. a woman's first pregnancy, multiple pregnancy, mother's age - over 35 years.

4. Hereditary diseases,e.g. Down's syndrome, phenylketonuria.

Acquired encephalopathies

1. Traumatic encephalopathies

  • concussion
  • contusion of the brain
  • epidural hematoma
  • subdural hematoma
  • intracranial hematoma

2. Hypertensive encephalopathy

Hypertensive encephalopathy is a consequence of a sharp increase in blood pressure. As a result of this process, cerebral blood flow is disturbed, and hence - cerebral edema, petechiae and small cerebral infarctions. Then headaches, vomiting, visual disturbances, consciousness disturbances and epileptic seizures appear.

3. Atherosclerotic encephalopathy

Binswanger's subcortical atherosclerotic encephalopathy is a disease whose essence is damage to small arterioles in the brain caused by atherosclerosis - a disease in which fat particles, proteins and calcium s alts accumulate on the walls of the arteries. As a consequence, there are numerous, small infarcts in the brain.

4. Metabolic encephalopathies

Metabolic encephalopathies (EM) are a group of diseases that are caused by the presence of endogenous (produced inside the body) toxins in the course of organ failure and manifested by abnormal brain functions.

  • hepatic encephalopathy- the cause of problems with the functioning of the central nervous system is liver failure, which occurred as a result of the presence of toxins in the body, such as ammonia, aromatic amino acids, modulating peptides;
  • uremic encephalopathy- is the result of the accumulation of amino acids in the body that are normally filtered by the kidneys and then excreted in the urine. The symptoms of the disease are apathy, intellectual decline, convulsions, myoclonus, muscle cramps, restless leg syndrome;
  • hyperglycemic encephalopathy- is the result of glucose deficiency, which is the sole source ofenergy for the brain (approx. 50% of the glucose produced after carbohydrate absorption is used by the brain). The symptoms of the disease are malaise, hunger, then restlessness, anxiety, vegetative symptoms, epileptic seizures and coma;
  • hypoglycemic encephalopathy- occurs in two forms: asdiabetic keto coma(mainly found in insulin-dependent diabetes - type I) and non-ketonehyperosmolar coma(usually found in type 2 diabetes). In both of these states, as a consequence of abnormal glucose metabolism and brain hypoxia, there is an increase in the concentration of lactic acid, ketone bodies and a decrease in cerebral blood flow. The symptoms of the disease are polyuria, partial (motor) epileptic seizures, decreased intellectual functions, variously severe disturbances of consciousness, hyperventilation, and then coma;
  • hyperthyroidismis manifested by nervousness, irritability, exophthalmos, rarely generalized convulsions;
  • hypothyroidism- in addition to headaches, excessive sleepiness, loss of intellectual functions, confusional states may occur;
  • hyperparathyroidism- in hypoparathyroidism the symptoms are associated with hyperactivity of the nervous system (irritability, paresthesia, muscle spasms, convulsions) and intracerebral calcifications (dementia);
  • hypoparathyroidism , which leads to hypercalcemia, is manifested by disturbed mood, orientation and coma;
  • heat stroke- encephalopathic changes are also caused by disturbances in the water and electrolyte balance in the course of heat stroke;

5. Post-inflammatory encephalopathy

Post-inflammatory encephalopathy occurs after infections, such as meningitis. This can take the form of epilepsy, mood and personality disorders, intellectual disability, blindness, and hearing impairment.

6. Post-vaccination encephalopathy

Vaccine encephalopathy is a neurological disorder that is a complication of immunization. The frequency of this type of encephalopathy is estimated at 1: 140,000-1: 300,000 vaccinated. Post-vaccination encephalopathy can lead to mental retardation, recurrent seizures, epilepsy - especially myoclonic epilepsy and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.

7.Spongif.webporm encephalopathies (TSEs)

  • Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), including a new variant of this disease (nvCJD);
  • Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome (GSS);
  • kuru ("laughing death");
  • fatal family insomnia(FFI);
  • Alpers team;

8. Wernicke's encephalopathy (alcoholic encephalopathy)

Wernicki's encephalopathy is the result of the toxic effects of alcohol, with a simultaneous vitamin deficiency (mainly vitamin B1). The disease manifests itself as paralysis of the oculomotor muscles, disturbed consciousness, often involuntary movements.

9. AIDS encephalopathy

AIDS encephalopathy, orAIDS-related dementia syndrome(AIDS dementia complex - ADC) or HIV dementia. The cause of the disease is inflammation , located around the vessels of gray matter and white matter, which leads to defects in the brain.

The consequence is cognitive impairment (mainly memory and association are disturbed), which is accompanied by a disturbance of motor functions (impairment of precise movements, balance disorders and tremors), speech disorders and changes in behavior (apathy, stupor, loss of reactivity emotional and spontaneity).

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