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Organic Brain Syndrome Learning Center
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Elderly
- Stroke
- Drug Abuse
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Alcohol Abuse
- Encephalitis
- Meningitis
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Senile dementia
- Multi-Infarct Demen...
- Concussion
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Hypoxia
- Huntington's Disease
- Endocarditis
- Creutzfeldt Jakob D...
- Kidney Disease
- Myocarditis
- Subarachnoid Hemorr...
- Septicemia
- Intracerebral Hemor...
- Wernicke-Korsakoff ...
- Normal Pressure Hyd...
- Thyroid Disorders
- Parkinson's Disease
- Chronic Subdural He...
- Alcohol Withdrawal ...
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Drug Withdrawal Syndrome
- Mini Stroke
- Pick Disease of the...
- Abnormal Heart Rhyt...
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Hypercapnia
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The following Clinical Topic Tour provides an overview of stroke and was adapted from materials published by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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A stroke is the sudden death of brain cells in a localized area due to inadequate blood flow.
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A stroke is an interruption of the blood supply to any part of the brain. A stroke is sometimes called a "brain attack." See also: Arteriovenous malformation (AVM)
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A stroke is an interruption of blood circulation to the brain causing a neurologic deficit reflecting the area of the brain affected. Stroke can be ischemic or hemorrhagic. 1 Ischemic stroke is most prevalent.
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Stroke is an increasing public health concern throughout the world as the leading cause of long-term disability. There is estimated to be over 3.5 million survivors of stroke in the United States.
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A stroke is the sudden death of brain cells in a localized area due to inadequate blood flow.
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A stroke is an interruption of the blood supply to any part of the brain. A stroke is sometimes called a "brain attack." There are two major types of stroke: ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. When a blood vessel that supplies blood to the br...
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There are various clinical and pathological subtypes of stroke, and identification of the subtype is necessary for correct management. Investigations Imaging Brain imaging should be performed within the first 48 hours of the onset of stroke (see below), to determine whether the stroke is haemorrhagic or ischaemic and to exclude other causes (e.g. tumour).
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Stroke, or cerebrovascular accident (CVA), is the third leading cause of death (after heart disease and cancer) in the United States and the industrialized countries of the world. The term "stroke," which comes from subjects being suddenly "struck...
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A stroke is an interruption of the blood supply to any part of the brain. Stroke is the leading cause of disability among adults in the United States. It is the country's third leading cause of death. This article discusses recovery from stroke. H...
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Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is the medical term for what is commonly termed a stroke. It refers to the injury to the brain that occurs when flow of blood to brain tissue is interrupted by a clogged or ruptured artery, causing brain tissue to di...
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A stroke, also called a cerebral infarction, is a life-threatening condition marked by a sudden disruption in the blood supply to the brain.
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A stroke, also called a cerebral vascular accident (CVA), is the sudden death of cells in a specific area of the brain due to inadequate blood flow.
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Stroke is the common name for the injury to the brain that occurs when the flow of blood to brain tissue is interrupted by a clogged or burst artery. Arterial blood carries oxygen and nutrition to the cells of the body. When arteries are unable to...
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Drug abuse is the use of illegal drugs, or the misuse of prescription or over-the-counter drugs. See also: Drug abuse and dependence; Drug abuse first aid.
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Medication abuse occurs when patients do not take medication in the prescribed manner, when they use other people's medication, or when they combine prescribed medication with over-the counter, traditional, or herbal medicines. Such medication mis...
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The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) is the U.S. agency responsible for the prevention of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug problems in the U.S. population. Because such problems are intrinsically linked with other public health probl...
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Public health has an opportunity to address the issues of substance use, abuse, and dependency across all age groups in the community since it occurs in all age groups. Substance abuse prevention and treatment professionals are acutely aware that ...
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Substance abuse is the continued compulsive use of mind-altering substances despite personal, social, and/or physical problems caused by the substance use. Abuse may lead to dependence, in which increased amounts are needed to achieve the desired ...
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Substance abuse is a pattern of behavior that displays many adverse results from continual use of a substance. Substance dependence is a group of behavioral and physiological symptoms that indicate the continual, compulsive use of a substance in s...
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Substance abuse and dependence refer to any continued pathological use of a medication, non-medically indicated drug (called drugs of abuse), or toxin. Although there are on-going debates on the exact distinctions between substance abuse and subst...
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Substance abuse is a pattern of drug, alcohol or other substance use that creates many adverse results from its continual use. The characteristics of abuse are a failure to carry out obligations at home or work, continual use under circumstances t...
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Substance abuse is a maladaptive pattern of alcohol or other drug use that causes social, physical, legal, vocational, or educational distress or impairment. In addition to those trained specifically as substance abuse counselors, mental health an...
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Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system.
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Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disorder that affects primarily the myelinated white matter of the central nervous system (CNS), the brain, optic nerves, and spinal cord. There is no known cause. Myelin is the fatty sheath that insulates nerve fibers...
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Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, degenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS is comprised of the brain and the spinal cord. In the CNS, the nerves are covered by a protective layer called the myelin sheath. Myelin helps keep ...
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Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, degenerative disorder affecting the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. A fatty tissue called myelin coats and protects the nerve fibers in the CNS. When...
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Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder affecting movement, sensation, and bodily functions. It is caused by destruction of the myelin insulation covering nerve fibers (neurons) in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord).
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Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system . The disease results in injury to the myelin sheath (the fatty matter that covers the axons of the nerve cells), the oligodendrocytes (the cells that produc...
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Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder affecting movement, sensation, and bodily functions. It is caused by destruction of the myelin sheath (insulation) covering nerve fibers ( neurons ) in the central nervous system ( brain and...
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Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, is the most commonly used drug in the world. Pharmacologically, alcohol is classified as a central nervous system depressant. Like other depressants, in small doses alcohol slows heart rate and respiration, decreases mus...
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Alcoholism is defined as alcohol seeking and consumption behavior that is harmful. Long-term and uncontrollable harmful consumption can cause alcohol-related disorders that include: antisocial personality disorder , mood disorders (bipolar and maj...
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Although the word meningitis suggests an inflammation of the meninges only, there is always some involvement of the most superficial parts of the brain that are contiguous to the meninges. Often there are also alterations in the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
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Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain, usually caused by a direct viral infection or a hypersensitivity reaction to a virus or foreign protein. Brain inflammation caused by a bacterial infection is sometimes called cerebritis. When both the...
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Encephalitis is irritation and swelling (inflammation) of the brain, usually due to infections. See also: Meningitis
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An inflammatory disease of the brain caused by a virus that either has invaded the brain, or a virus appearing elsewhere in the body that has caused a sensitivity reaction in the brain. Encephalitis infects the brain tissue itself and has serious ...
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Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain, usually caused by a direct viral infection or a hypersensitivity reaction to a virus or foreign protein. Brain inflammation caused by a bacterial infection is sometimes called cerebritis. When both the...
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The following Clinical Topic Tour provides an overview of meningitis and was adapted from materials published by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the National Cancer Institute, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Meningitis is a serious inflammation of the meninges, the membranes (lining) that surround the brain and spinal cord. It can be of bacterial, viral, or fungal origin.
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Meningitis is swelling and irritation (inflammation) of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. This inflammation causes changes in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. See also: Aseptic meningitis; Men...
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Meningitis is the most common serious manifestation of infection of the central nervous system (CNS). Inflammatory involvement of the subarachnoid space with meningeal irritation leads to the classic triad of headache, fever and meningism, and to a pleocytosis in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
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An inflammation of the meninges, most often caused by infection. Meningitis is a potentially fatal inflammation of the meninges, membranes which encase the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis is most commonly caused by an infection of bacteria, viru...
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Bacterial meningitis Epidemiology and microbiology: the overall annual incidence of bacterial meningitis is about 2?3/100,000, with peaks of incidence in infants and adolescents. Integration of vaccines into the UK vaccination programme against Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and more recently against group C meningococccus has led to a marked decline in cases of Hib and Group C meningococcal meningitis and has significantly reduced the overall incidence of bacterial meningitis.
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Meningitis is a potentially fatal inflammation of the meninges, the thin, membranous covering of the brain and the spinal cord. Meningitis is most commonly caused by infection (by bacteria, viruses, or fungi), although it can also be caused by ble...
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Meningitis is a potentially fatal inflammation of the meninges, the thin, membranous covering of the brain and the spinal cord. Meningitis is most commonly caused by infection by bacteria, viruses, or fungi, although it can also be caused by bleed...
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Meningitis is a potentially fatal inflammation of the meninges, the thin, membranous covering of the brain and the spinal cord . Meningitis is most commonly caused by infection ( bacteria , viruses , or fungi ), although it can also be caused by b...
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Encephalitis is an acute inflammatory process that affects brain tissue and is almost always accompanied by inflammation of the adjacent meninges (tissues lining the brain). There are many types of encephalitis, most of which are caused by viral i...
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Multi-infarct dementia (MID) is a form of vascular dementia - damage in mental function caused by strokes.
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Multi-infarct dementia is one form of dementia that occurs when small blood vessels in the brain are blocked by blood clots or fatty deposits. The blockage interrupts the flow of blood to regions of the brain (a stroke ), which, if sustained, caus...
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Concussion is a trauma-induced change in mental status, with confusion and amnesia , and with or without a brief loss of consciousness.
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A concussion is a brain injury that may result in a bad headache. altered levels of alertness, or unconsciousness. See also: Concussion - first aid
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Concussion is a trauma-induced change in mental status, associated with confusion and amnesia, that may or may not be accompanied by a brief loss of consciousness.
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Concussion is a trauma-induced change in mental status, with confusion and amnesia, and with or without a brief loss of consciousness.
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Lack of oxygen to the brain. When the cells of the brain receive little or no oxygen, irreversible damage is often the result. Hypoxia is the term applied to oxygen starvation of the brain; when the lack of oxygen is more generalized in the whole ...
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Hypoxia generally refers to a lack of oxygen in any part of the body. In a neurological context, it refers to a reduction of oxygen to the brain despite adequate amounts of blood.
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Huntington's disease is a disorder passed down through families in which certain nerve cells in the brain waste away, or degenerate.
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A hereditary disease of the central nervous system. Huntington's disease, also called Huntingtons chorea, causes intellectual impairment, emotional disturbances, and the uncontrollable arm, leg, and body movements that are its most characteristic ...
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Huntington disease is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease causing uncontrolled physical movements and mental deterioration. The disease was discovered by George Huntington of Pomeroy, Ohio, who first described a hereditary movement disorder.
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Huntington disease is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease causing uncontrolled physical movements and mental deterioration. The disease was discovered by George Huntington of Pomeroy, Ohio, who first described a hereditary movement disorder.
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Huntington disease is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease causing uncontrolled physical movements and mental deterioration. The disease was discovered by George Huntington of Pomeroy, Ohio, who first described a hereditary movement disorder.
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First described by Dr. George Huntington in 1872, Huntington disease (HD) is a relatively common hereditary neurological condition that most commonly affects people in their adult years. HD is a progressive disorder that often involves thinking an...
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The endocardium is the inner lining of the heart muscle, which also covers the heart valves. When the endocardium becomes damaged, bacteria from the blood stream can become lodged on the heart valves or heart lining. The resulting infection is kno...
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Endocarditis is inflammation of the inside lining of the heart chambers and heart valves (endocardium. See also: Culture-negative endocarditis; Infective endocarditis.
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Endocarditis is an infection of the endocardium, the inner lining of the heart muscle and its four valves (tricuspid, pulmonary, mitral, and aortic). Abnormal or damaged endocardium is more likely to become infected when bacteria enter the bloodst...
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Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a form of brain damage that leads to a rapid decrease of mental function and movement.
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Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rapidly progressive disease causing damage to the brain. It is one of a group of rare diseases that affects humans and animals, known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) and is believed to be cau...
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Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a transmissible, rapidly progressing, fatal neurodegenerative disorder related to "mad cow disease."
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Kidney disease is any disease or disorder that affects the function of the kidneys. This may include: Acute kidney failure; Acute nephritic syndrome; Analgesic nephropathy; Atheroembolic renal disease; Chronic kidney failure; Chronic nephritis; Co...
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Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle. See also: Pediatric myocarditis
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Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the heart muscle (myocardium) that can result from a variety of causes. While most cases are produced by a viral infection, an inflammation of the heart muscle may also be instigated by toxins, drugs, and ...
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A subarachnoid hemorrhage is an abnormal and very dangerous condition in which blood collects beneath the arachnoid mater, a membrane that covers the brain. This area, called the subarachnoid space, normally contains cerebrospinal fluid. The accum...
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Subarachnoid hemorrhage is bleeding in the area between the brain and the thin tissues that cover the brain. This area is called the subarachnoid space.
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Blood poisoning, also known as septicemia or sepsis, occurs when the bloodstream becomes infected by bacteria (i.e., staphylococci, streptococci) or fungi introduced through a wound, abscess , or other injury. Septicemia may also originate from a ...
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Septicemia is the presence of bacteria in the blood (bacteremia) and is often associated with severe infections.
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Lobar intracerebral hemorrhage is bleeding in the largest part of the brain called the cerebrum.
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Korsakoff's syndrome is a memory disorder which is caused by a deficiency of vitamin B 1 , also called thiamine.
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Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is a brain disorder due to thiamine deficiency.
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Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is a severe memory disorder usually associated with chronic excessive alcohol consumption, although the direct cause is a deficiency in the B vitamin thiamin. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (D...
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Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is a rise in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain that affects brain function.
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Thyroid disorders fall into two general categories:(1) dysfunction of thyroid hormone production; and (2) development of thyroid enlargements, called goiters, which include generalized enlargement of the gland and benign and malignant nodules. Thy...
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The thyroid gland is located in the front of the neck, just below the voice box (larynx. It produces chemicals (hormones) that help the body control metabolism. Thyroid hormone is also produced in response to another hormone released by the pituit...
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Parkinson's disease (PD) is a motor system disorder caused by the chronic, progressive degeneration of neurons (nerve cells) in regions of the brain that control movement. PD causes a decline in the initiation, speed, and smoothness of movement. O...
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Parkinson's disease is a disorder of the brain that leads to shaking (tremors) and difficulty with walking, movement, and coordination.
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Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive movement disorder marked by tremors, rigidity, slow movements (bradykinesia), and postural instability. It occurs when, for unknown reasons, cells in one of the movement-control centers of the brain begin ...
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Parkinson disease (PD) is a progressive movement disorder marked by tremors, rigidity, slow movements (bradykinesia), and posture instability. It occurs when cells in one of the movement-control centers of the brain begin to die for unknown reason...
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Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes slowed movements, tremor, rigidity, and a wide variety of other symptoms. "Neurodegenerative" refers to the degeneration, or death, of neurons, the type of cell in the brain that...
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Parkinson disease (PD) is a progressive movement disorder marked by tremors, rigidity, slow movements (bradykinesia), and posture instability. It occurs when cells in one of the movement-control centers of the brain begin to die for unknown reason...
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Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive movement disorder marked by tremors , rigidity, slow movements (bradykinesia), and posture instability. It occurs when cells in one of the movement-control centers of the brain begin to die for unknown rea...
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A chronic subdural hematoma is an "old" collection of blood and blood breakdown products between the surface of the brain and its outermost covering (the dura. The chronic phase of a subdural hematoma begins several weeks after the first bleeding.
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Alcohol withdrawal refers to symptoms that may occur when a person who has been drinking too much alcohol every day suddenly stops drinking alcohol.
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A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is an episode in which a person has stroke -like symptoms for less than 24 hours, usually less than 1-2 hours. A TIA is often considered a warning sign that a true stroke may happen in the future if something is n...
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Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIAs) are transient neurological deficits, such as temporary blindness of one eye (amaurosis fugax), hemiparesis, or aphasia. Most typically, these symptoms last for periods of minutes or even hours, and they may persis...
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A transient ischemic attack, or TIA, is often described as a mini-stroke. Unlike a stroke , however, the symptoms can disappear within a few minutes. TIAs and strokes are both caused by a disruption of the blood flow to the brain. In TIAs and most...
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A transient ischemic attack (TIA), or "mini-stroke," is a neurologic episode resembling a stroke but resolving completely within a short period of time. By definition, symptoms of TIA resolve within 24 hours, and symptoms lasting longer than that ...
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Pick disease is a rare neurodegenerative disorder that affects pre-senile adults. It is characterized by atrophy of the tissues in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain and by the presence of aggregated tau protein that accumulates in Pick b...
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Pick's disease is a rare and permanent form of dementia that is similar to Alzheimer's disease, except that it tends to affect only certain areas of the brain.
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An arrhythmia is an abnormality in the heart's rhythm, or heartbeat pattern. The heartbeat can be too slow, too fast, have extra beats, skip a beat, or otherwise beat irregularly.
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An arrhythmia is a disorder of the heart rate (pulse) or heart rhythm, such as beating too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia), or irregularly.
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