Disorders of arterial circulation of the brain: forms, signs, treatment. What happens in the brain after a blood vessel ruptures? Millions of chemical reactions occur in the body

What causes an attack and what types of attacks occur

Why do epileptic seizures occur? What happens in the brain during seizures?

The electrical activity of the brain is a consequence of neurochemical processes occurring in nerve cells, or rather between them. Some cells activate their neighbors, others inhibit. Usually the brain works smoothly. However, sometimes it happens that the activating influence suddenly increases sharply, and then a seizure occurs. A seizure is a sudden powerful discharge of electrical activity in brain cells. Imagine a large orchestra. There is a concert going on, and someone alternates as a soloist. Everyone obeys the conductor. This is our brain when it works. And the soloist can be compared to some working organ (arm, leg, face). Suddenly the musicians simultaneously start playing randomly and very loudly, we hear a cacophony. Much the same thing happens in the brain. One area of ​​the brain is alternately active. These or other small areas of the brain solo and transmit electrical discharges to each other. However, for some reason, an invisible conductor waves a baton, and all brain cells simultaneously emit a discharge - this is manifested by a generalized convulsive seizure with loss of consciousness. If only part of the brain is involved, the attack can be focal (partial): only in the arm, leg, half of the body or face, or manifested by any sensations. Sometimes an attack begins as a focal one, then affects the entire body - it becomes generalized. Non-convulsive seizures are also possible.

There are many different types of seizures. Some are barely noticeable or not noticeable at all, others - generalized convulsive - are visible to others and can cause harm to the patient.

What sensations can there be before, during and after an epileptic attack?

Seizures come in many forms and different people proceed differently.

How a seizure proceeds depends on which area of ​​the brain is activated during the seizure, i.e. in which zone uncontrolled discharges of electrical activity occurred. Seizures are usually the same in the same person, unless two or more types of seizures occur at the same time.

Some patients may feel the onset of a seizure several hours or even days in advance; in others, the seizure occurs completely suddenly, and the person cannot protect himself.

Some people may know about the onset of an attack by changes in mood, headache or other symptoms and manifestations. This is not a seizure, but only a precursor to it.

For some, the seizure begins with an aura. The aura is already part of the focal seizure, its beginning. The aura can be very diverse, depending on the part of the brain in which the seizure begins. The aura can be visual, auditory, tactile - that is, a person sees, hears or feels something, then consciousness turns off. (Sometimes isolated auras occur, which is regarded as an independent attack without loss of consciousness). When seizure begins without an aura, then the person suddenly loses consciousness, falls, the tongue may be bitten, convulsions begin, at the end of the seizure it is possible involuntary urination. Some come to their senses immediately after a seizure, others are conscious, but it is confused, and some can sleep from a few minutes to several hours. Post-ictal symptoms may also occur headache. On the second day after the attack, muscle pain may be noted. There are many types of nonconvulsive seizures. One of them is the aura (it occurs in isolation), we have already described above. In addition, there are: absence seizures - freezing for a few seconds, myoclonus - shaking of the hands or the whole body, atonic seizures - falling without convulsions, sometimes without blackout.

What are the types of attacks?

This is a very simplified description epileptic seizures*. We hope that it will help you understand the picture of your disease.
Epileptic seizures are divided into focal (partial, partial) and primary generalized.
The most well-known seizures of epilepsy are primary generalized seizures. During a generalized attack, the epileptic discharge simultaneously covers the entire brain.

Generalized seizures are divided into

1. Absence seizures (formerly called petit mal) are a loss of consciousness for several seconds (sometimes may be accompanied by myoclonus). .
2. Myoclonus - tremors in the hands or the whole body. The patient may drop objects and even fall without loss of consciousness (they may develop into a generalized convulsive seizure),
3. Primary generalized seizures
- can begin suddenly on their own or occur after a series of absence seizures and myoclonus. Sometimes these attacks can occur in the same patient.

Another type of seizure is focal.
During a focal attack, epileptic activity covers some part of the brain, and depending on this, the attack can be motor (convulsions in one or two limbs, face), sensory (sensations - taste, visual, auditory and others).
If during an attack epileptic activity spreads throughout the brain, focal seizures can turn into convulsive seizures with loss of consciousness - then such an attack is called secondary generalized. They can also turn into seizures with loss of consciousness without convulsions - such seizures are called complex partial, and complex partial can also generalize (become secondary generalized).

Those. we have 3 types of focal seizures

1. Simple focal – without loss of consciousness
2. Complex focal (complex partial, complex partial) – with loss of consciousness from tens of seconds to several minutes, without convulsions.
3. Secondary generalized seizures that begin as a simple or complex focal seizure and then lead to a generalized seizure.

*In creating this very simplified description, we relied on the 1981 International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) classification of epileptic seizures.

It's no secret that thanks to the intense blood supply, the lion's share of alcohol consumed ends up in the brain. This is why after drinking alcohol, the effects of alcohol quickly become apparent. What happens when exposed to alcohol in the brain?

It's easy to feel drunk. However, not all of the effects of alcohol are visible to our eyes. Despite the fact that the brain weighs about 2.5% of body weight, 40% of the alcohol is concentrated there.

After drinking a glass of alcohol, alcohol triggers the activity of the inhibitory pathways of the brain through the GABA neurotransmitter system. This leads to muscle and mental relaxation, calm or even euphoria. Speaking in simple language, this is intoxication.

At frequent use alcohol, the mediator systems GABA, serotonin and others adapt, which leads to an increase in the dose of alcohol and the formation of dependence. In this case, doctors recommend treatment for alcoholism. Subsequently, the constant impact of alcohol on the mediator systems may be accompanied by a hangover (withdrawal syndrome).

Poisoning the brain with alcohol is like a disaster movie when suddenly everything starts to collapse. Although usually in movies everything ends well, with a handful of main characters managing to escape, this is not the case with alcohol.

The toxic effects of alcohol are irreversible

Alcohol causes brain damage that knows no way back. Speaking scientific language, alcohol and its metabolite acetaldehyde have an irreversible neurotoxic effect.

That's why 40 years ago in the official GOST 18300-72 ethanol characterized as “a highly flammable, colorless liquid with a characteristic odor, which is classified as a potent narcotic, causing first excitement and then paralysis of the nervous system.”

Of course, over these 40 years the properties of alcohol have not changed. Apparently, people simply began to look at them more optimistically.

What happens to the brain?

Alcohol and acetaldehyde play a key role in brain destruction. Using means such as increased activity of the glutamate system (excitotoxicity), oxidative stress, and activation of neuronal suicide mechanisms (apoptosis), they quickly destroy neurons.

Alcohol reduces the level of the so-called brain growth factor, which controls the development, maturation, survival of neurons, the formation of a neural network and synapses.

Alcohol stays in the brain tissue the longest and leaves it later than other organs and systems. On average, according to research, alcohol is neutralized in the body within two weeks.

It's no secret that thanks to the intense blood supply, the lion's share of alcohol consumed ends up in the brain. Photo: tookapic/pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Therefore, if you drink even twice a month, alcohol will always be in the brain. After taking moderate doses (25-40 grams of absolute alcohol), higher brain functions are restored only after 12-20 days.

In addition, the state of the brain closely depends on the liver and its detoxification function. After all, some neurotoxins can penetrate the brain. At alcoholic cirrhosis liver due to the death of liver cells, unpurified blood enters the brain.

Neurotoxic substances such as ammonia and manganese lead to hepatic encephalopathy. Sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, cognitive impairment, that is, dementia appear.

Felt hat

The culmination of the alcoholic extravaganza is the clumping of red blood cells. Even half a glass of beer is enough for red blood cells to coagulate, and red blood cells to clog the smallest capillaries in the brain. The result is ischemia, that is, starvation of the areas of the brain that receive blood from this capillary.

If your attempts to look slimmer don't bear fruit, then maybe it's the alcohol? Photo: pexels/CC0 Public Domain

At oxygen starvation within 3-7 minutes, brain cells die. In two weeks dead cells are absorbed and excreted from the body in the urine. This is why the cross-section of an alcoholic's brain resembles a mosaic.

According to the results of a ten-year study conducted among Japanese residents, it was found that drinking alcohol is main reason hemorrhagic strokes. Moreover, 70% of people develop strokes before the age of 50.

Brain cells are arranged in layers. In people who drink alcohol, the structure of the brain is disrupted. The brain tissue begins to resemble a felt hat.

The ability to analyze, synthesize, and systematize is impaired due to the breakdown of connections. After decades of drinking alcohol, brain atrophy reaches such proportions that the number of neurons can be reduced by more than 20%.

As you understand, alcohol and the brain do not go well together. Therefore, the less often they occur, the better.

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Alcoholic drinks are always present on festive tables. Many people consume them in small quantities and without special occasions. According to some, they are great for relaxing and relieving stress. There is a version about positive impact Some types of alcohol can affect human health, but we should not forget that when consumed regularly, alcohol poses a danger, including to the brain. Alcohol negatively affects gastrointestinal tract, heart and liver, and also impairs the functioning of the entire nervous system.

How does alcohol enter the brain?

It is not difficult to understand what happens inside the body when a person drinks alcohol. It is enough to at least schematically represent the structure and functioning of the main systems. Once in oral cavity, the liquid penetrates the stomach, where it lingers for a maximum of 10–15 minutes.

Already through the mucous membranes of this organ, partial absorption of ethyl alcohol into the blood begins, but this process occurs most fully in the next section of the gastrointestinal tract - the small intestine. Exactly duodenum the inside is covered with a layer of small villi, each of which is penetrated capillary network. This structure normally makes it possible to deliver nutrients from digested food.

Through the capillaries of the villi small intestine Not only proteins, fats and carbohydrates obtained from food enter the bloodstream. Ethyl alcohol contained in them also spreads through them. different concentrations in all alcoholic drinks. This compound enters the blood and spreads to all organs and tissues.

This process is quite fast. Thus, alcohol reaches the brain within a few minutes after absorption into the blood. This phenomenon is partly associated with human intoxication, which manifests itself initially as a reaction from the nervous system.

What happens in the brain when drinking alcohol

Experts warn that ethyl alcohol is an extremely toxic substance, but the primary product of its oxidation, acetaldehyde, also poses a danger. Together they have a destructive effect on the brain, which cannot but have consequences for the entire organism, since each structure or system is coordinated in one way or another specifically by the departments of the central nervous system.

According to doctors, all the consequences of alcohol intake for the brain can be divided into two groups, related to the time of their occurrence. Thus, the first changes will be noticeable almost immediately when intoxicated or in a hangover. It is the influence of alcohol on the brain and central nervous system that explains the development of some severe symptoms - irritability, nervousness, aggression.

Another group of consequences is considered remote. Toxic substances are known to destroy the cells that form brain tissue. Neural connections are also at risk. If a person constantly drinks alcohol for a long time, then ethyl alcohol accumulates in the tissues, which leads to the development serious pathologies, sometimes having an irreversible nature.

First signs

The brain is an organ with complex structure. He performs many vital important functions. When some of its parts are damaged, diseases develop, sometimes leading to fatal outcome. Nature provides reliable protection for the brain from physical injury. This vulnerable organ is surrounded on all sides by a strong skull, which protects it from blows. The cells themselves have membranes that prevent viruses and bacteria from penetrating tissues, but they cannot cope with toxic ethyl alcohol.

Ethanol enters the brain through blood vessels, easily overcoming all cellular barriers. At this moment a person experiences a pleasant dizziness, but if concentration dangerous substance rises, then clinical picture intoxication becomes different. Most often in this case the following are observed:

• excessive irritability;
• excitement;
• attacks of fear and panic;
• stress;
• aggression;
• anger.

These symptoms indicate the primary effect of alcohol on the brain. This is usually associated with changes hormonal levels. Certain parts of the brain responsible for regulating the activity of the endocrine system, namely the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, send a signal to glands throughout the body to increase the secretion of hormones.

At the moment of intoxication, the adrenal glands are most often activated. This leads to increased production of adrenaline, which provokes attacks of aggression or anger. Do not forget that alcohol increases the permeability of membranes. It means that hormonal substances spread throughout the body as quickly as possible and reach peak concentrations in the blood.

Alcohol affects not only the brain structures that control the functioning of endocrine glands. Alcohol poses no less danger to the blood vessels themselves through which it spreads. Thus, with regular drinking of alcohol, pathologies of the arteries supplying the brain are possible.

Human health deteriorates due to the fact that alcohol has an ambiguous effect on blood vessels. When using small doses, expansion of the channel is observed due to relaxation smooth muscle, forming the walls of arteries.

This phenomenon suggests that with reasonable drinking of alcohol, it is possible to reduce the initially elevated blood pressure, however, in practice it is extremely rarely possible to normalize it with alcohol. This is because even a small increase in dose results in a sudden increase in smooth muscle tone throughout the body. This also applies to the walls of the arteries that carry oxygen to the brain.

The lumen of the vessels sharply narrows, due to which the gas exchange function cannot be fully realized. As a result, some parts of the organ begin to suffer from hypoxia - lack of oxygen. At the same time, they accumulate carbon dioxide with waste products of metabolism.

The situation is dangerous because with prolonged oxygen starvation, brain tissue begins to die. If a large group of closely located cells undergo death, their functioning may cease forever. In favorable cases, some tissues regenerate on their own within a few months.

Even more dangerous complication associated with alcohol intake - stroke. The walls of the arteries may not withstand the sudden drop in pressure associated with drinking alcohol. In some cases, they rupture, leading to bleeding in the brain. Doctors in such a situation diagnose a hemorrhagic stroke. This is a health and life-threatening damage to brain cells. If medical assistance is not provided in a timely manner, the person may die.

Destruction of tissues and cells

Ethyl alcohol and acetaldehyde do not just change a person’s behavior during intoxication or a hangover. Doctors are convinced that these compounds are capable of gradually destroying cells of any organs of the human body, including the brain.

It is important to take into account that cell death occurs not only directly during drinking alcohol. Toxic substances tend to accumulate in tissues. This suggests that the brain will deteriorate even during periods of absolute sobriety if they are less than three weeks. This is exactly how much time, according to narcologists, the human body needs to completely cleanse itself of ethanol and its oxidation products.

As long as alcohol is present in the body, destructive processes are inevitable. This is precisely what explains the massive death of neurons - the cells that form the gray matter of the brain. It is this area that is most often exposed to the harmful effects of alcohol on the human body.

It has been proven that regular consumption of alcoholic beverages does not just cause brain cells to die. Neural connections between the left and right hemispheres, the cortex and subcortical layer are disrupted. It is these destructive processes that underlie long-term consequences constant drinking of alcohol.

Deterioration of brain function

Neurologists warn that a damaged brain cannot function smoothly. This is especially noticeable if a person abuses alcohol long time and makes no attempt to rectify the situation. Ethyl alcohol provokes the death of neurons and the destruction of connections between them. As a result, areas of necrotic tissue of different sizes are formed, which do not perform any function.

Doctors confirm that the destruction of bark fragments cerebral hemispheres- the department that suffers the most during chronic alcoholism- leads to the development of dementia, i.e. dementia. Outwardly this will be expressed sharp decline intellectual abilities, however, this is far from a complete clinical picture.

Except this symptom, there are several more signs indicating the gradual death of brain tissue:

If alcohol is consumed for long period, then the changes affect large volumes of brain tissue. Deterioration mental abilities in drunkards it is noticeable even to people who do not have special medical education.

In addition, alcohol provokes a number of other disorders that do not appear immediately, but will become visible only after a few years. A damaged brain cannot fully control the body, so difficulties with movements and position in space are possible.

Restoration of brain tissue after alcohol

Ethyl alcohol is harmful to all cells of the body. This substance disrupts the functioning of many systems and often leads to irreversible consequences. However, in some cases, normal functioning of the central nervous system along with the brain can be restored. This primarily applies to those situations when a person realizes in time the full severity of the consequences. alcohol intoxication and stops drinking alcohol in large quantities.

The neurons that form the gray matter of the cerebral cortex have the ability to regenerate, but to start recovery processes, requires a lot of effort. First of all, it is important to stop drinking any liquids containing alcohol. Even light drinks are dangerous, so wine, beer and their analogues are completely excluded, along with strong high-proof alcohol.

Restoring the brain after a prolonged binge is best done together with a doctor. A neurologist will be able to select the optimal nootropic drugs that will help in the formation of new neural connections and education healthy cells gray matter. It wouldn’t be superfluous to receive vitamin complexes that improve brain function. Amino acid preparations are also useful. In particular, glycine is considered the most accessible and effective of them.

The brain is reliably protected by the cranium from external damage, shock, and injury, but this organ, like all others, is vulnerable to drinks containing ethyl alcohol. If alcohol is consumed frequently and uncontrollably, then there is a high probability of brain damage, which leads not only to a change in character and a decrease in mental abilities. In the most severe cases, pathologies leading to injury, disability or death are possible.

Disorders of arterial circulation of the brain: forms, signs, treatment

IN last years the percentage of mortality from pathological lesions of cerebral vessels, which were previously associated with the aging of the body and were diagnosed only in humans, has increased significantly old age(after 60 years). Today, the symptoms of cerebrovascular accident have become younger. And people under 40 often die from strokes. Therefore, it is important to know the causes and mechanism of their development so that diagnostic and therapeutic measures give the most effective results.

What are cerebrovascular accidents (CVA)

The vessels of the brain have a unique, perfect structure that ideally regulates blood flow, ensuring the stability of blood circulation. They are designed in such a way that with an increase in blood flow into the coronary vessels approximately 10 times during physical activity, the amount of circulating blood in the brain increases mental activity, remains at the same level. That is, a redistribution of blood flow occurs. Some of the blood from parts of the brain with less load is redirected to areas with increased brain activity.

However, this perfect circulatory process is disrupted if the amount of blood entering the brain does not satisfy its need for it. It should be noted that its redistribution across brain regions is necessary not only for its normal functionality. It also occurs when various pathologies, for example, (narrowing) or obstruction (closure). As a result of impaired self-regulation, the speed of blood movement slows down in certain areas of the brain and their.

Types of MC violations

There are the following categories of blood flow disorders in the brain:

1. Acute (stroke), occurring suddenly with long course, and transient, the main symptoms of which (visual impairment, loss of speech, etc.) last no more than a day.
2. Chronic, caused by. They are divided into two types: origin and caused.

Acute cerebrovascular accidents (ACI)

Acute cerebrovascular accident causes persistent disorders of brain activity. It comes in two types: and (it is also called cerebral infarction).

Hemorrhagic

Etiology

Hemorrhage ( hemorrhagic disorder blood flow) can be caused by various arterial hypertension, congenital, etc.

Pathogenesis

As a result of the increase blood pressure There is a release of plasma and the proteins contained in it, which leads to plasma impregnation of the walls of blood vessels, causing their destruction. A peculiar hyaline-like specific substance (a protein whose structure resembles cartilage) is deposited on the vascular walls, which leads to the development of hyalinosis. The vessels resemble glass tubes and lose their elasticity and ability to hold blood pressure. In addition, the permeability of the vascular wall increases and blood can freely pass through it, soaking nerve fibers(diapedetic bleeding). The result of such transformations can be the formation of microaneurysms and rupture of the vessel with hemorrhage and blood entering the white medulla. Thus, hemorrhage occurs as a result of:

• Plasmic impregnation of the walls of blood vessels of the white medulla or visual thalamus;
• Diapedetic bleeding;
• Microaneurysm formations.

Hemorrhage in acute period characterized by the development of hematomas due to wedging and deformation of the brain stem into the tentorial foramen. In this case, the brain swells and extensive edema develops. Secondary hemorrhages occur, smaller ones.

Clinical manifestations

Usually occurs during the day, during physical activity. Suddenly your head starts to hurt and you feel nauseous. Consciousness is confused, the person breathes quickly and whistlingly, and occurs, accompanied by hemiplegia (one-sided paralysis of the limbs) or hemiparesis (weakening motor functions). Basic reflexes are lost. The gaze becomes motionless (paresis), anisocoria occurs (pupils different sizes) or divergent strabismus.

Treatment

Treatment for this type of cerebrovascular accident includes intensive care, the main goal of which is to reduce blood pressure, restore vital (automatic perception of the outside world) functions, stop bleeding and eliminate cerebral edema. The following medications are used:

1. Reducing - ganlioblockers ( Arfonad, Benzohexanium, Pentamin).
2. To reduce the permeability of vascular walls and increase blood clotting - Dicynone, vitamin C, Vikasol, Calcium gluconate.
3. To increase blood rheology (fluidity) - Trental, Vinkaton, Cavinton, Eufillin, Cinnarizin.
4. Inhibiting fibrinolytic activity - ACC(aminocaproic acid).
5. Decongestant - Lasix.
6. Sedatives.
7. To reduce intracranial pressure, a spinal puncture is prescribed.
8. All drugs are administered by injection.

Ischemic

Etiology

ischemic cerebrovascular accident due to atherosclerotic plaque

Ischemic circulatory disorders are most often caused by atherosclerosis. Its development can provoke strong excitement(stress, etc.) or excessive exercise stress. May occur during night sleep or immediately upon awakening. Often accompanies pre-infarction state or .

Symptoms

They may appear suddenly or grow gradually. They manifest themselves in the form of headaches, hemiparesis on the side opposite to the lesion. Impaired motor coordination, as well as visual and speech disorders.

Pathogenesis

An ischemic disorder occurs when a specific area of ​​the brain receives an insufficient amount blood. In this case, a focus of hypoxia arises, in which necrotic formations develop. This process is accompanied by disruption of basic brain functions.

Therapy

Injections are used in treatment medicines recovery normal functioning of cardio-vascular system. These include: Korglykon, Strophanthin, Sulphocamphocaine, Reopoliklyukin, Cardiamin. Intracranial pressure decreases Mannitol or Lasix.

Transient cerebrovascular accident

Transient cerebrovascular accident (TCI) occurs against the background of arterial hypertension or atherosclerosis. Sometimes the reason for its development is their combination. The main symptoms of PNMK are as follows:

• If the focus of the pathology is located in the basin of the carotid vessels, the patient’s half of the body (on the side opposite to the focus) and part of the face around the lips become numb; paralysis or short-term paresis of the limbs is possible. Speech is impaired and an epileptic seizure may occur.
• If the patient's blood circulation is impaired, the patient's legs and arms become weak, it is difficult for him to swallow and pronounce sounds, and photopsia occurs (the appearance of luminous spots, sparks, etc. in the eyes) or diplopia (doubling of visible objects). He becomes disorientated and has memory lapses.
• Signs of cerebrovascular accident due to hypertension are as follows: severe headache and eyeballs, the person experiences drowsiness, he experiences ear congestion (like on an airplane during takeoff or landing) and nausea. The face turns red and sweating increases. Unlike strokes, all these symptoms disappear within 24 hours. For this they received the name.

Treatment of PNMK is carried out with antihypertensive, tonic and cardiotonic drugs. Antispasmodics are used, and. The following medications are prescribed:

Dibazol, Trental, Clonidine, Vincamine, Euphyllin, Cinnarizine, Cavinton, Furasemide, beta blockers. As a tonic - alcohol tinctures ginseng and Schisandra chinensis.

Chronic cerebrovascular accidents

Chronic cerebrovascular accident (CVA), unlike acute forms, develops gradually. There are three stages of the disease:

1. At the first stage, the symptoms are vague. They look more like a syndrome chronic fatigue. A person gets tired quickly, his sleep is disturbed, he often hurts and feels dizzy. He becomes hot-tempered and absent-minded. His mood often changes. He forgets some minor points.
2. At the second stage, chronic cerebrovascular accident is accompanied by significant memory deterioration, and minor motor dysfunctions develop, causing unsteadiness of gait. It appears in my head constant noise. A person perceives information poorly, having difficulty concentrating his attention on it. He is gradually deteriorating as a person. Becomes irritable and unconfident, loses intelligence, reacts inadequately to criticism, and often becomes depressed. He constantly feels dizzy and has a headache. He always wants to sleep. Performance is reduced. He adapts poorly socially.
3. In the third stage, all symptoms intensify. Personality degradation turns into memory loss. Having left home alone, such a person will never find his way back. Motor functions are impaired. This manifests itself in hand tremors and stiffness of movements. Speech impairment and uncoordinated movements are noticeable.

Cerebrovascular accident is dangerous because if treatment is not carried out early stages, neurons die - the basic units of the brain structure, which cannot be resurrected. Therefore, diagnosing the disease in the early stages is so important. It includes:

• Identification of vascular diseases that contribute to the development of cerebrovascular accidents.
• Making a diagnosis based on patient complaints.
• Conducting a neuropsychological examination using the MMSE scale. It allows you to detect cognitive impairment by testing. The absence of violations is indicated by 30 points scored by the patient.
• Duplex scanning to detect damage to cerebral vessels due to atherosclerosis and other diseases.
• Magnetic resonance imaging, which makes it possible to detect small hypodense areas in the brain (with pathological changes) foci.
• Clinical blood tests: general analysis blood, lipid spectrum, coagulogram, glucose.

Etiology

The main causes of cerebrovascular accident are as follows:

1. Age. They mainly occur in people who have entered their fifth decade.
2. Genetic predisposition.
3. Traumatic brain injuries.
4. Overweight. Obese people often suffer from hypercholesterolemia.
5. Physical inactivity and increased emotionality (stress, etc.).
6. Bad habits.
7. Diseases: diabetes(insulin dependent) and atherosclerosis.
8. Hypertension. High blood pressure is the most common cause of strokes.
9. In old age, problems with blood flow in the brain can result from:
   • ciliated,
   • various diseases hematopoietic organs and blood,
   • chronic,

Treatment

For chronic disorders of blood flow in the brain all therapeutic measures are aimed at protecting brain neurons from death as a result of hypoxia, stimulate metabolism at the neuronal level, normalize blood flow in brain tissue. Medicines for each patient are selected individually. They should be taken in a strictly prescribed dosage, constantly monitoring blood pressure.

In addition, for cerebral circulatory disorders accompanied by neurological manifestations, antioxidants, vasodilators, drugs that increase blood microcirculation are used, sedatives and multivitamins.

Chronic cerebrovascular accidents can be treated using traditional medicine using various fees and herbal teas. Particularly useful is an infusion of hawthorn flowers and a collection that includes chamomile, cudweed and motherwort. But they should be used as an additional treatment course that enhances the main drug therapy.

People with increased weight who are at risk for developing atherosclerosis due to diabetes need to pay attention to nutrition. There are for them special diets, which you can learn about from a nutritionist who monitors the organization of nutrition for patients undergoing treatment in an inpatient department of any hospital. TO dietary products include everyone who has vegetable origin, seafood and fish. But milk products, on the contrary, should be with low content fat

If cholesterolemia is significant and the diet does not give the necessary results, medications included in the group are prescribed: Liprimar, Atorvakar, Vabarin, Torvacard, Simvatin. With a large degree of narrowing of the lumen between the walls carotid arteries(more than 70%) requires carotid ( surgery), which is performed only in specialized clinics. For stenosis less than 60%, conservative treatment is sufficient.

Rehabilitation after acute cerebrovascular accident

Drug therapy can stop the progression of the disease. But she is unable to regain the ability to move. Only special gymnastic exercises can help with this. You need to be prepared for the fact that this process is quite long and be patient. Relatives of the patient should learn how to perform massage and exercises therapeutic exercises, since they are the ones who will have to do them for him for six months or more.

Kinesiotherapy is indicated as the basis for early rehabilitation after dynamic cerebrovascular accident in order to fully restore motor functions. It is especially necessary in the restoration of motor skills, as it contributes to the creation of a new model of the hierarchy of the nervous system for the physiological control of the motor functions of the body. The following techniques are used in kinesitherapy:

1. Gymnastics “Balance”, aimed at restoring coordination of movements;
2. Feldenkrais reflex exercise system.
3. Voight's recovery system motor activity method of stimulating reflexes;
4. Microkenisotherapy.

Passive gymnastics “Balance” is prescribed to every patient with cerebrovascular accidents as soon as consciousness returns to him. Usually, relatives help the patient perform it. It includes kneading the fingers and toes, flexing and straightening the limbs. Exercises begin with lower sections limbs, gradually moving upward. The complex also includes kneading the head and cervical regions. Before starting the exercises and finishing the gymnastics, you should use light massaging movements. It is imperative to monitor the patient's condition. Gymnastics should not cause him to become overtired. The patient can independently perform eye exercises (squinting, rotating, fixing the gaze at one point, and some others). Gradually, with the improvement of the patient's general condition, the load is increased. An individual recovery method is selected for each patient, taking into account the characteristics of the course of the disease.

Photo: basic passive gymnastics exercises

Feldenkrais Method is a therapy that has a gentle effect on the human nervous system. It promotes the complete restoration of mental abilities, motor activity and sensuality. It includes exercises that require smooth movement when performed. The patient must focus on their coordination, making each movement meaningfully (consciously). This technique forces one to divert attention from existing problem with health and concentrate it on new achievements. As a result, the brain begins to “remember” previous stereotypes and returns to them. The patient constantly studies his body and its capabilities. This allows you to find quick ways make him move.

The technique is based on three principles:

• All exercises should be easy to learn and remember.
• Each exercise must be performed smoothly, without overstraining the muscles.
• While performing the exercise, the sick person should enjoy the movement.

But most importantly, you should never divide your achievements into high and low.

Additional rehabilitation measures

Widely practiced breathing exercises, which not only normalizes blood circulation, but also relieves muscle tension arising under the influence of gymnastic and massage loads. In addition, it regulates respiratory process after performing therapeutic exercises and gives a relaxing effect.

In case of cerebrovascular accidents, the patient is prescribed bed rest During a long time. This may lead to various complications, for example, disruption of natural ventilation of the lungs, the appearance of bedsores and contractures (mobility in the joint is limited). Prevention of bedsores involves frequent changes patient's position. It is recommended to turn him over on his stomach. At the same time, the feet hang down, the shins are located on soft pillows, and under the knees there are cotton wool discs covered with gauze.

1. Give the patient's body special provision. In the first days, he is transferred from one position to another by his relatives caring for him. This is done every two or three hours. After stabilizing blood pressure and improving the general condition of the patient, they are taught to do this on their own. Getting the patient into bed early (if well-being allows) will prevent contractures from developing.
2. Perform the massage necessary to maintain normal muscle tone. The first days it includes light stroking (if muscle tone is increased) or kneading (if muscle tone is decreased) and lasts only a few minutes. Further massage movements are intensifying. Rubbing is allowed. Duration also increases massage treatments. By the end of the first half of the year, they can be completed within an hour.
3. Fulfill physical therapy exercises, which, among other things, effectively combat synkinesis (involuntary muscle contractions).
4. Vibration stimulation of paralyzed parts of the body with an oscillation frequency of 10 to 100 Hz gives a good effect. Depending on the patient’s condition, the duration of this procedure can vary from 2 to 10 minutes. It is recommended to carry out no more than 15 procedures.

For cerebrovascular accidents, it is also used alternative methods treatment:

• Reflexology, including:
  1. Treatment with odors (aromatherapy);
  2. classic version of acupuncture;
  3. acupuncture at reflex points located on ears(auricolotherapy);
  4. acupuncture of biologically active points on the hands (su-Jack);
• Pine baths with the addition of sea salt;
• Oxygen baths.

Video: rehabilitation after a stroke, the program “Live Healthy!”

Read more about comprehensive rehabilitation after strokes and ischemic attacks.

Consequences of NMC

Acute cerebrovascular accident has serious consequences. In 30 cases out of a hundred, people who have suffered this disease become completely helpless.

1. He cannot eat or perform independently hygiene procedures, getting dressed, etc. Such people have a completely impaired ability to think. They lose track of time and have absolutely no orientation in space.
2. Some people retain the ability to move. But there are many people who, after a cerebrovascular accident, remain bedridden forever. Many of them maintain a clear mind, understand what is happening around them, but are speechless and cannot express their desires and feelings in words.

Disability is a sad result of acute and in many cases chronic disorder cerebral circulation. About 20% of acute cerebrovascular accidents are fatal.

But there is an opportunity to protect yourself from this serious illness, regardless of which category of classification it belongs to. Although many people neglect it. This is an attentive attitude to your health and all the changes occurring in the body.

• Agree that healthy person There should be no headaches. And if you suddenly feel dizzy, it means that some kind of deviation has arisen in the functioning of the systems responsible for this organ.
• Evidence of problems in the body is elevated temperature. But many people go to work when it is 37°C, considering it normal.
• Is there a short term? Most people rub them without asking the question: why is this happening?

Meanwhile, these are the companions of the first minor changes in the blood flow system. Often acute disorder cerebral circulation is preceded by transient. But since its symptoms disappear within 24 hours, not every person rushes to see a doctor to undergo an examination and receive the necessary drug treatment.

Today, doctors are armed with effective drugs- . They literally work wonders, dissolving blood clots and restoring cerebral circulation. However, there is one “but”. For achievement maximum effect they must be administered to the patient within three hours after the first symptoms of a stroke appear. Unfortunately, in most cases, applying for medical care is carried out too late, when the disease has reached a severe stage and the use of thrombolytics is no longer useful.

Video: blood supply to the brain and the consequences of stroke

According to World Organization health care, about 400 million people of all ages suffer from depression. These shocking figures make the disease a leading cause of disability.

In the fight for the consumer, all means are good

Pharmaceutical companies could not pass up such a tasty piece of profit. The huge target market for antidepressants is a gold mine for manufacturers. In addition to meeting the needs of the consumer, pharmacologists resort to various marketing tricks, further enriching their own treasury. It is not difficult to prove the sins of companies that produce antidepressants. You just have to look at the results of numerous monitorings. Thus, a recent study, the results of which were published in the British Medical Journal, discovered the concealment of true information regarding medical supplies.

When you blindly trust your doctor

When a person is diagnosed with depression, he will not be interested in the results of clinical trials of a particular drug. He blindly trusts the doctor, goes and buys medicine. Scientists pulled up archives of 70 different blinded, placebo-controlled trials of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and found that not a single report reported serious harm from the drugs. This means that developers have something to hide, and they do not want to advertise possible serious side effects.

In depression, the hippocampus is primarily affected.

We know that depression cannot be left untreated. If a person constantly feels depressed, this affects not only emotional state or causes certain physical ailments. In fact, if left untreated, depression can cause real changes in a patient's brain structure. The hippocampus, the region responsible for the formation and regulation of emotions and memory, is primarily affected. This trend is especially devastating for teenagers because their brains are still developing. Teachers and parents will immediately rush to attribute the child’s problems with attention, memory and outbursts of aggression to adolescence. But the real reason lies elsewhere.

At what stage does brain damage occur?

Several scientific studies have found that with recurrent or persistent depressive disorders, an important part of the brain decreases. This means that we have reliable information. Professor Ian Hickey from the University of Sydney said that a decrease in the size of the hippocampus was directly related to the number of depressive episodes. The more such conditions a person experiences during his life, the worse it gets. This is why it is so important not to leave your condition without the attention and care of your loved ones. What comes first: a decrease in the hippocampus or a mental disorder? Experts say brain damage occurs from relapse of the disease.

Recoverability

Several other studies have revealed the uniqueness of this department. You will be surprised, but the hippocampus is able to fully recover in size. Reversibility refers to the ability to quickly form new connections between cells. Scientists have found that when the size of the hippocampus decreases, it is not the cells themselves that are lost, but only the cellular connections that are disrupted. But it's not just depression that can shrink the size of the hippocampus. For example, a person who is used to staying at home without participating in social activities also exposes himself to a certain risk. Experts believe that social interaction is an integral part of building strong connections between brain cells. There are also alternative ways increasing neuroprotection, such as consuming fish oil.

How depression encodes information

Mental disorders affect not only the brain; the heart is primarily affected. However, these two organs are directly interconnected. If a person is sad and constantly in a depressed state, heart electromagnetic waves encode the information received and send signals to the brain. Thus, nervous system is in constant chaos.

The idea of ​​chemical imbalance in the past

Joseph Coyle, a neuroscientist at Harvard Medical School, sums it all up. In fact, the notorious idea of ​​a chemical imbalance in the brain is a relic of the past. The influence of mental disorders on the main human organs is much more subtle and complex. According to the expert, the mechanism of depression cannot be reduced to the generally accepted idea of ​​a lack of serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. Presented to the public back in the 50s of the last century, the theory of a lack of neurotransmitters enjoyed enormous popularity for half a century. Most of the world's population accepted this theory as the only correct one. However, depression is more likely to be associated with other abnormal influences.

Science has been on the wrong track for half a century

So people often say that mental disorders leads to a chemical imbalance, but in reality this disease is much more complex, and not every drug that restores the deficiency of neurotransmitters will help get rid of the disease. And here is what the famous British psychiatrist and writer Dr. Joanna Moncrieff says: “While a person feels depressed, some processes occur in the brain. However, no study has yet established a correlation between the lack of certain neurotransmitters and depressive disorder. In all cases, the experiments give rather contradictory results. Not a single work has been able to identify the real cause of the disease. The fact that over 50 years is so intense scientific research did not give any results, can only indicate two things: either scientists have not developed the right technology, or they are following the wrong trail.”

Antidepressants are not able to completely cope with the problem

In support of the chemical imbalance theory, it is often proposed that antidepressants significantly increase the levels of serotonin and other neurotransmitters at synapses. But, as we said earlier, drugs are only able to localize processes for a while. Solving major problems (not to mention complete cure) seems almost impossible. The fact that mood can be affected by medications does not give reason to believe that this theory is correct. In addition, no doctor can look into the patient’s skull and accurately determine which chemical neurotransmitters are involved in this specific disease. That is why the theory remains a theory, and doctors still write prescriptions “blindly”.

Millions of chemical reactions occur in the body

Both inside and outside our nerve cells there are millions of different chemical reactions. All together, this constitutes a single dynamic system that regulates our mood, the perception of certain processes, the feeling of happiness or sadness. This is why the exact cause of mental disorders still remains unknown. However, the idea of ​​neurotransmitter imbalance is strongly supported pharmaceutical companies together with psychotherapists.

There are other factors that lead to depression

On this moment Scientists have discovered that a number of factors can lead to mental disorders biological factors, among which chronic inflammation, vitamin D deficiency, imbalance intestinal flora or excess sugar in the body. There are also alternative ways to combat depression. Perhaps the idea of ​​brain neuroplasticity will provide some clues. Many of us have heard that with the power of thought you can influence a given situation. This is confirmed by various Scientific research. A good way to overcome depression is to balanced diet And physical exercise. Well, meditation has the most amazing variety of neurological benefits.