Encephalopathy

Short characteristic of a disease

Encephalopathy is a pathological damage of a brain owing to death of nervous cells that is caused by disturbance of blood supply and oxygen insufficiency of brain fabric.

Encephalopathy is not an individual disease, it is the combined concept meaning various morbid conditions and diseases. Encephalopathy can be observed both at adults, and at children.

Types of encephalopathy

Distinguish the inborn and acquired encephalopathy.

Inborn encephalopathy arises because of action of disturbing factors in labor, genetic defects or anomalies of development of a brain. Birth trauma and a hypoxia of a brain can be the reasons of inborn encephalopathy. Inborn encephalopathy still call perinatal.

As it was already told above, perinatal encephalopathy most often arises and develops as a result of morbid conditions during pregnancy or childbirth. Refer damages and morbid conditions of a brain which arise in a period of 28 weeks of pregnancy till 7 in the afternoon of the child's life to perinatal encephalopathies.

Risk factors of development of perinatal encephalopathy are premature and late births, a multiple pregnancy, reception by the pregnant woman of some medicines, placental detachment, complications at the time of delivery, age of mother (it is less than 20 years or 40 is more senior).

Symptoms of inborn encephalopathy is the uneasy behavior of the newborn, frequent crying, inadequate photoharmoses and a sound, the zaprokidyvany heads, vypuchivany an eye, frequent vomiting. Symptoms of perinatal encephalopathy can be defined in maternity hospital. At the child with such pathology heartbeat disturbance, weak or late shout, lack of sucking reflexes is observed.

If manifestations of injury of a brain have an effect not at once, and through quite long period, speak about residual encephalopathy. This pathology arises after perinatal encephalopathy after a while.

It is rather difficult to diagnose residual encephalopathy in some cases as in the perinatal period symptoms of pathology are rather short-term, and the recurrence can be shown later a wide interval of time. Infectious or inflammatory diseases, increase in arterial pressure, a craniocereberal injury can provoke a recurrence of residual encephalopathy.

The acquired encephalopathies - develop in the post-natal period. There are several types of the acquired encephalopathy.

Posttraumatic encephalopathy - arises owing to the postponed craniocereberal injury.

Toxic encephalopathy - arises owing to impact on an organism of neurotropic and bacterial toxins.

Beam encephalopathy - arises owing to impact on a brain of ionizing radiation.

Metabolic encephalopathies - arise at various diseases of internals. At the same time toxic substances which are formed during a disease get to a big circle of blood circulation and cause metabolic damage of a brain.

Vascular encephalopathy - arises owing to chronic disturbances of blood supply of a brain.

Distsirkulyatorny encephalopathy - arises owing to pathological changes of tissue of brain because of vascular and brain frustration.

Distinguish the venous, atherosclerotic, hypertensive, and also mixed distsirkulyatorny encephalopathy.

Allocate three degrees of distsirkulyatorny encephalopathy.

The first degree of encephalopathy is characterized by decrease in memory, irritability, a headache, an alarming dream.

The second degree of encephalopathy is characterized by rather expressed symptoms. The headache becomes a constant, decrease in memory, slackness, apathy, frustration of a dream is observed.

The third degree of distsirkulyatorny encephalopathy is characterized by heavy changes of brain fabric, symptoms of a disease are aggravated. There are paresis, vascular parkinsonism, the speech is violated.

Encephalopathy symptoms

Encephalopathy symptoms – are rather various and depend on a form and a stage of a disease. At the initial stage decrease in memory and working capacity, the general fatigue, a sleep disorder, slackness is observed. At survey decrease rumors and sight, a tone of muscles, a lack of coordination is observed.

Severe damage of a brain leads to severe headaches, dizziness, vomiting and nausea, disorders of consciousness, paresis and various mental disorders. In an effect can be observed lag in development and problems in education of children.

Diagnosis of encephalopathy

At diagnosis of encephalopathy an important role is played by data of the anamnesis.

Also use an electroencephalography, a computer tomography and a tomography by method of nuclear magnetic resonance.

Carry out biochemical analyses of blood, a research of urine and cerebrospinal liquid.

Treatment of encephalopathy

Treatment of encephalopathy is directed to elimination of symptoms, and also to treatment of a disease which led to damage of a brain.

At acute heavy encephalopathy use hemoperfusion, a hemodialysis, ventilation of the lungs, parenteral food. Use drugs which reduce intracranial pressure and interfere with development of spasms. Also appoint the drugs improving blood circulation of a brain.

Additional treatment of encephalopathy assumes use of physical therapy and reflexotherapy, respiratory gymnastics.