Surgery to remove abnormal growths of the brain, peripheral nervous system or the spine or any disorder can be tricky because the brain and the skull that shields it are complex areas. In the old days, open surgery was the only way to access the brain or spinal cord. But, with the invention of laparoscopy, keyhole surgery to treat neurological issues is gaining ground.

What is Neuroendoscopy? 
Neuroendoscopy is a surgical procedure that is favoured by doctors and patients alike because it is minimally invasive.
Before the surgery, you will be administered general anaesthesia so that you will be unconscious during the entire duration. During the surgery, the surgeon will drill a minute hole into your skull just above the eyebrows. You skull also has two natural openings. That is why the surgeon may make use of the nose or the mouth to access the region that needs to be operated upon.

Neuroendoscopy is useful because -

  It lets the surgeon reach regions that are not accessible with open surgery
  The tumour can be removed without any damage being done to surrounding tissues

An endoscope is a delicate device with a high-resolution camera mounted on it. There is an eyepiece on the other end. The device is also fitted with a light. When it is inserted into the brain, it lights up the passage and the eyepiece allows the surgeon to take a look inside. The camera sends a live feed of the path it is traversing and this guides the surgeon. When the tumour is reached, it is gently removed with other surgical instruments that too were inserted through the cavities or the drilled hole.

Benefits of Neuroscopy -
There are several advantages of relying on laparoscopy -

  The patient endures less pain
  Fewer chances of infection
  Faster recovery
  Very little scarring of tissues

Which Disorders call for Neuroendoscopy?
Any of the following disorders can be put to rights with a neuroendoscopic surgery -

  Pituitary tumours
  Rathke s cleft cysts
  Pineal area tumours
  Ventricular tumours
  Skull base tumours
  Brain inflammation triggered by an infection
  Chordomas
  Cerebrospinal fluid fistulas
  Trigeminal neuralgia
  Cerebral aneurysm

After Surgery-
Once you undergo the neuroendoscopic surgery, you will have to be rehabilitated so that your condition can be monitored round the clock. Neuroendoscopy is a state of the art clean and efficient surgery that is beneficial to both surgeons as well as the patients.

Know More About Neuroendoscopy And Its Uses!

Brain tumor refers to the development of unusual cells in the brain or around the nearby tissues and structures. Pediatric Brain Tumor means the development of these unusual cells in the brain of children. There are two types of brain tumors: Benign or non-cancerous and malignant or Cancerous. Tumors like ependymoma and medulloblastoma are quite common among children. The treatment of the tumor is determined by its severity, type, location, age, and overall health of the child. The treatment of Brain Tumor in children is different from the adult s treatment. One should ensure to consult with the pediatrician with the specialty in cancer and neurology. Brain Tumors in children are Primary Brain Tumors that develop in the brain or nearby tissues. This Primary Brain Tumor develops when the usual cells have DNA mutations or alterations. The alterations in the DNA permit the cells to develop and distribute or split with an increased rate and destroy the healthy cells. This leads to the development and collection of unusual cells forming a tumor. In most Primary Brain Tumor cases, the cause is not clear. Children with a family history of the genetic syndrome and Brain Tumor are more prone to the problem.

Symptoms-

The symptoms of the Pediatric Brain Tumor depend upon the severity, location, and type. There are a number of symptoms that are really common and are shared by other diseases. Other than this, there are symptoms which are possibly the signs of Brain Tumor among children. Adults and parents should consult a doctor if they find their children having the symptoms and signs for an unusual time.

Hearing issues

Frequent and severe headache

Fuller fontanel (soft spot) on the baby s skull

Vomiting or nausea

Behavior changes

Seizures

Sudden vision problems like double vision

Abnormal or strange eye movement

Increased heaviness or pressure in the head

Irritability

Slurred speech

Difficulty in swallowing

Weakness

Loss of appetite

Drooping on one side of the face

Difficulty feeding in babies

Loss of sensation on one side of the body

Imbalance or difficulty in balancing

Difficulty in walking

Diagnosis-

The diagnosis for the Pediatric Brain Tumor includes many lab tests. The doctor may initiate with some neurological examination like hearing, vision, reflexes, balance, and coordination. Any abnormality in these tests will lead to further examinations. There are some imaging tests that are used to determine the size and location of the tumor in the brain. These tests include MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), PET (Positron Emission Tomography), and CT (Computerized Tomography). After the confirmation of the presence of a Brain Tumor, the specialist will further move to the Biopsy. It includes the removal of a sample tissue for analysis or testing. The type of biopsy that will be performed on the patient depends upon the location of the tumor. Other than the biopsy, the tumor tissue can be examined for molecular basis and genetic mutations. After that, Drug therapy can be designed according to the individual s requirements. It is important for the doctor and the patient to know if the tumor has been spread through cancer in other parts of the body. If it is true, then the doctor will perform more tests and examinations to know the root and initial location of cancer for further treatment.

Treatment-

The treatment of the Pediatric Brain Tumor is determined by the severity, location, size of the tumor, and age and health of the child. There is a number of treatments available with modern technology but their usage depends upon the patient s requirement.

Surgery that is used when the location of the tumor is approachable via surgery. When the brain tumor is small, it can be completely removed by the surgery. But when the tumor tissues are located nearby sensitive areas of the brain, then the surgery becomes risky and maximum tumor tissues are tried to be removed through surgery. The risk of the surgery depends upon the location of the tumor. An example can be vision loss if it is anywhere near the nerves connected to the eyes.

Targeted Drug Therapy helps to destroy the abnormalities of the cancer cells resulting in the destruction of the cancer cells.

Radiation therapy is used to kill the tumor cells by using high-energy beams. Radiation therapy can either be given by an external machine (external beam radiation) or in exceptional cases, radiation is positioned within the body (brachytherapy) near the tumor.

Chemotherapy includes the consumption of drugs to destroy the tumor cells. These drugs can be consumed in tablet form but for children, the drugs are mostly injected (intravenous chemotherapy).

Stereotactic Radio Surgery includes various radiation beams to perform extremely focused radiation therapy to destroy the tumor cells located in a small part.

Proton Beam Therapy carries higher targeted radiation doses to the tumor cells with minimum exposure of radiation to the healthy cells and tissues. It decreases the chance of development of fresh cancer cells.

Take Away-

Pediatric Brain Tumor is the development of unusual cells in the brain or around it. Although this is a life-threatening problem, however, with advanced technology, it can be treated successfully. There are no specific causes discovered by specialists but genetic mutations and family history cause it. The symptoms can be really common like headache and nausea but can also be specific like difficulty in coordination, reflexes, speech, and many more. The timely diagnosis and treatment can give a new life to the child and reduces the chance of development of fresh tumor cells in the future.

Pediatric Brain Tumor - Know In Detail About It!

Obesity is the new-age lifestyle disease with multiple ramifications. While its effects on the physical aspects are very evident, the damage it does to the brain are more severe, though not obvious. Read on to know some harmful effects of obesity on the emotional well-being.

Leads to binge eating: There is a certain pleasure in eating sugary and fatty food, and this is lost with depression. Therefore, to get that emotional satisfaction, people tend to eat more chocolates, cookies, milkshakes, and other weight-accumulating food items, which further add to obesity. Greater the weight gained by a person, lesser the response or happiness from such food products.
Increases impulsivity: The area of the brain known as orbitofrontal cortex, which is in charge of controlling impulsivity, shrinks in obese people. This results in people eating more impulsively.
Affects immunity: Obesity is a major cause of inflammation, leading to damage in certain parts of the brain. This impairs the immune system, making the affected person more prone to infections and tissue damage. This leads to increased chances of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, sleeping disorders, eating disorders, etc. The chemical known as C-reactive protein increases as seen on MRIs in obese people, and which is usually seen in patients with chronically increased inflammation.
Effects on memory: As the BMI increases, there is a decrease in scores of memory tests. This effect is more obvious in women after menopause. With increased fat accumulation, more hormones are released, which affects the memory. Increased inflammation also affects cognition and memory.
Increased risk of dementia: With more belly fat accumulating, there is extra stress on the body to burn the visceral fat. This reduces brain size and causes certain hormones to release, which further affects the body s ability to remember things. It has been proven that people with smaller brain size are at greater risk for developing dementia.
Weight loss stress adding to more stress: When obesity sets in and the BMI goes up, there is an added pressure to lose weight, which further ups the stress levels. During these dieting days, the brain is constantly alert and finds ways to eat more. This also leads to excess eating. Moreover, there are indications that there could be genetic changes during this phase, which may leave a permanent mark in the person s composition.
Depression: When a person is not happy with their reflection in the mirror, the chances of feeling good and happy are very less. In this age, where aesthetics plays a major morale booster, an obese image staring back does not help at all.
So, if you have a risk of obesity, watch out. It is not just how you look, but how you feel is also altered.

Obesity - How It Affects The Human Brain?

The relationship between intelligence and brain size, both among people and between various species, has never been precisely well defined. People often believe that their outstanding psychological capacities must mean that they are superior to all animals as far as brain size is concerned. However, it is not true since whales and elephants have much bigger brains than humans and humans have the same brain-to-body mass proportion as mice do.

Here are a number of ways by which the brain size can be determined:

Encephalization remainder: Since it would be against human instinct to admit loss and defeat, researchers have created a measure to determine the brain size called the encephalization remainder. It is the proportion of actual brain mass with respect to the anticipated cerebrum mass for the animal s size (based on the suspicion that bigger animals require somewhat less brain matter with respect to their size, compared to little animals). By this metric, human beings prove to be the best, with an EQ of 7.5 outperforming the dolphin's 5.3 and the mouse's 0.5.
IQ testing: Without a solitary and evident method for measuring intelligence, some improved tests like IQ (Intelligence Quotient) are by and large acknowledged as a moderately decent working device. IQ estimations are not without issues, and there is a great deal of criticism about their significance. IQ testing uses government sanctioned tests, for example, the WAIS III (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale). The normal IQ is somewhere around 90 and 110. The scores beneath the normal may demonstrate changing degrees of pathology, for example, marginal intellectual function, or mental hindrance of different severity. Over the normal range is regularly connected with knowledge, splendour, talent, or genius. However, as with computers of a few eras, size and intellect do not precisely relate. Present day portable computers weighing around one or two kilogrammes can store more data and perform a greater number of assignments than supercomputers from the 1980s that used to possess expansive structures. This is a contrast amongst quantity and quality. Numerous scientists now hold the view that it is not the whole brain, which is bigger in a human with a higher IQ, yet rather certain zones that are denser and might be bigger. A fascinating late revelation is that these ranges can be expanded in size and enhanced in usefulness during the course of our life.
NeuroplasticityIt refers to the dynamic procedure of repair and maintenance that our brains are continually experiencing. We are conceived with around hundred billion neurones, yet lose around two hundred thousand a day to a procedure called pruning. As we develop and grow, pathways in the brain that are not required are detached, and the neurones pass on. However, in a compensatory procedure, new neurones are delivered and more detailed associations are built up between neurones that are more dynamic. This is the procedure of de-cluttering, in which our brains develop to work at most extreme effectiveness. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Neurologist.

Brain Size - How It Is Related With Intelligence?

Leading a life with peripheral neuropathy is quite similar to riding a roller coaster. Managing the pain can be frustrating at one time and overwhelming on the other as patients can experience alternating symptoms with debilitating pain. So you should learn about the various treatment options as they can help you go a long way in managing the pain.

The peripheral nerves are considered the longest in the body which extend from the hands to feet. When these nerves are damaged, you may feel some sort of pain, tingling in the hands and feet and even numbness, and these symptoms can even get worse and you may experience stabbing pain with increasing weakness. 

There are many things that you should know about peripheral neuropathy as they would help you to manage the condition much more effectively.

Diabetes is the leading cause of neuropathy: More than 70% of diabetics develop symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. So you should keep your blood sugar within optimum levels as a means of reversing diabetic neuropathy.
A melange of causes behind neuropathy: Though diabetes is the number 1 cause of peripheral neuropathy, other causes include deficiency of vitamin B12, alcoholism, traumatic injury, chemotherapy and exposure to toxic substances. Physicians may find it difficult to pin-point the cause and when this happens. This is often termed as  idiopathic neuropathy .
Medications causing neuropathy: If you are suffering from diabetes and being treated with the drug named metformin, you may develop peripheral neuropathy.
Preventing neuropathy is the most recommended way: While it is the fact that some nerves may potentially get damaged from certain surgeries or injury, peripheral neuropathy can be potentially prevented or sometimes stopped from spreading. As diabetes is a major cause of diabetes, being watchful about your diet and exercising regularly can help you go a long way to prevent diabetes as well as neuropathy.
Pain is not simply confined to a tingling sensation: Though pain and a tingling sensation is the commonest and easiest way of recognising the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy, each of your sensory, motor and autonomic nerves can show different set of symptoms that you should be watchful of.
A diet may make the symptoms even worse: You can either help or hurt your nerves with your choice of foods. For improving symptoms, you should avoid food with excessive sugar, refined grains and artificial sweeteners as they may strain your nerves and irritate them further.
Whether you are recently diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy or living with it for many years, understanding a few conditions would help you make informed decisions about your well-being.

Peripheral Neuropathy - 6 Things You Should Know!

Neurological disorders are the diseases of the brain and spine, and the nerves which connect the brain and spine.

Some of the most common types of Neurological disorders are:

Alzheimer s Disease (AD)

Multiple Sclerosis

Epilepsy

Migraines

Parkinson s Disease

Ayurvedic Approach of Neurological Disorders

Ayurveda is an ancient system of medicine which originated in India, having a holistic approach to focus on treating the entire being. Ayurveda treatments are based on vata, pitta, and kapha doshas, whose balance leads to harmony and whose imbalance leads to toxic accumulations inside the body. Ayurveda aims to maintain an equilibrium among the three. It has effective solutions for a number of Neurological Disorders, also called  Vatavyadhi .

Eighty types of Vatavyadhi are described in Ayurvedic texts which can be placed under four categories: Kevala vata (Vata alone), Samsarga (Vata in association with Pitta and Kapha), Avarana (due to entrapment by other Dosha/Dhatu/Mala), and Dhatu Kshaya Janya (neurodegenerative). 

Ayurvedic Treatment

Ayurveda is plant-based systems of medicine. Because of being natural and harmless, it is very popular in treating various diseases. Several herbs have excellent properties to treat panic and anxiety affecting the central nervous system. Nature s gift of herbs and minerals not only alleviates symptoms but ensures cure by regulating neural biokinesis, thus preventing recurrence, relapse, and adversity.

Ayurveda can cure a number of Neurological Disorders like migraine, sinus, Parkinson s disease, anxiety, stress, insomnia, epilepsy, hysteria, cerebral palsy, stroke, etc. For treating these Neurological Disorders Panchakarma therapy is adopted which focuses on holistic treatment for long-lasting results.

Some of the common remedies under Panchakarma therapy are:

Chamomile tea, roots of kava, passion flower, ginseng, Cannabis sativa are all prescribed for anxiety.

Valerian is used as a natural sedative and for treating insomnia and panic attacks.

Ginkgo biloba and Hypericum perforatum have neuroprotective properties and are useful in treating learning dysfunction and improving memory.

Inhaling powder of seeds of Achyranthes aspera or Prickly chaff flower relieves from stiffness and migraine.

Bark powder of Acorus calamus or Sweet flag root enhances memory by curing forgetfulness. When consumed with honey, it is beneficial for anxiety and epilepsy. Equal weights of this powder with ginger powder is recommended for facial paralysis.

Powder of Malabar nut with honey cures epilepsy.

Seed powder of Siris tree is used for treating insanity, psychosis, anxiety, and hysteria.

Coriander extract relieves vertigo and headache.

Juice of Dodder plant or Amarbel is taken in water to improve brain disorders.

Extract of branches of peepal tree cures madness.

Decoction of roots of drumstick plant is given for epilepsy and hysteria.

Velvet bean is effective in treating Parkinson s disease.

Poppy is beneficial in sleeplessness, delirium, convulsion, etc.

Decoction of leaves of guava is used to cure physical and mental deformities.

Leaves of pomegranate, when concentrated in boiling water and given in warm milk, cures fatigue and insomnia.

Leaves of pomegranate and rose petals when concentrated in boiling water and given in ghee, cure madness.

Cloves paste in water is applied on earlobes to cure migraine.

Almonds improve memory, especially when taken at an early age.

Yoga and meditation help in improving mental health by incorporating discipline and relaxation.

Take Away

For reliable cure with minimal side effects, Ayurveda is very well developed for treating many brain-related disorders with an approach of maintaining equilibrium among the three doshas and towards holistic, long-term treatment.

Neurological Disorders - How Ayurveda Can Assist?

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