brain atrophy Brain atrophy is a radiological manifestation, which refers to a phenomenon where brain cells decrease abnormally and brain tissue undergoes shrinkage due to aging, brain injury, neurological diseases, infections, and other reasons.

Brain atrophy is a radiological manifestation that refers to the phenomenon of abnormal reduction of brain cells and tissue atrophy due to aging, brain injury, neurological diseases, infections, and other reasons.

Aging

With increasing age, a certain degree of brain tissue atrophy is a physiological and normal phenomenon. However, when brain atrophy occurs earlier, progresses rapidly, or deviates from normal physiological changes, it may be caused by disease.

Brain injury

Head injuries from accidents, such as in traffic accidents, can lead to brain tissue damage and subsequent atrophy.

Other diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases: Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body dementia, Parkinson's disease dementia, and frontotemporal dementia, among others;

Cerebrovascular diseases: such as acute ischemic stroke, cerebral small vessel disease;

Neurological developmental disorders: such as cerebral palsy;

Genetic diseases: Huntington's disease, and other genetic diseases associated with gene mutations;

Brain white matter malnutrition: such as Krabbe disease;

Epilepsy: prolonged seizures can also lead to brain atrophy;

Metabolic diseases: such as mitochondrial encephalomyopathy;

Demyelinating diseases of the nervous system: multiple sclerosis, among others;

Infectious diseases: such as encephalitis, neurosyphilis, and AIDS, among others.

Early signs of brain atrophy

Mainly mild cognitive impairment, easy forgetfulness, and delayed reactions to events.

Mild to moderate brain atrophy

Symptoms of cognitive impairment gradually worsen, such as forgetting home location, how to get home, being forgetful, speaking slowly, and frequently forgetting words during conversations.

Sometimes patients may experience unexplained emotional fluctuations, even becoming suspicious, depressed, anxious, or aggressive.

Moderate to late-stage brain atrophy

Cognitive function further deteriorates, with significant memory loss, severe forgetfulness of recent and distant events, possible mental confusion, difficulty in perception, and decreased overall ability;

Motor coordination impairment, unsteady gait;

Visual-spatial disturbances, inability to dress independently.

In the late stage, patients exhibit significant mental dullness, significant difficulty in walking, requiring assistance, loss of all orientation abilities, inability to feed themselves, incontinence, failure to recognize family members, not knowing their own name, extreme suspicion, delusions, etc. Patients experience comprehensive paralysis of intelligence and physical abilities, and are completely unable to care for themselves, requiring specialized care.

Urinary tract infections

Urinary tract infections are mainly seen in patients with indwelling urinary catheters or those with incontinence who do not receive proper care.

Pulmonary infections

Patients who are less mobile, bedridden for long periods, or experience coughing or swallowing difficulties may develop pulmonary infections.

Skin lesions

Skin lesions manifest as conjunctival and facial and neck skin capillary dilation, and skin scaling.

Metabolic abnormalities

Metabolic abnormalities manifest as glucose metabolism abnormalities, fatty acid metabolism abnormalities, phospholipid metabolism abnormalities, lipoprotein metabolism abnormalities, vitamin metabolism abnormalities, etc.

Cardiac pathology

Cardiac pathology in patients with brain atrophy usually presents as myocardial hypertrophy, atrioventricular conduction block, etc.

Exercise: Increase physical labor and engage in sports to enhance physical fitness and improve the body's ability to fight disease.

Diet: Follow a low-salt, low-fat diet and supplement the diet with seafood, mushrooms, legumes and their products, fish, dairy products, sesame paste, various vegetables and fruits, while avoiding alcohol, spicy and other irritating foods.

Lifestyle: Quit smoking and drinking, and cultivate good living habits.