The most powerful and amazing organ in our body is the brain. It differs from many other organs of our body not only by its shape, but also by its special type of cell called neurons. When these cells gets affected or dead it can never be reverted or regenerated which is the most exclusive nature found only in brain cells. The cells in other parts of our body has the capacity to regenerate (can be replaced or new one can be grown or produced), but brain cells are exception. Hence any damage to the brain, injury or trauma is really a crucial thing to be considered with utmost care.

Brain surgeries really need skill, proper training, confidence and intelligence to perform this highly complicated and risky surgery.

Purpose:
Brain surgeries are performed to:

Remove the brain tissues that are grown abnormally
Aneurysm is clipped to prevent flow of blood cliff off an aneurysm
Biopsy purpose or to remove the tumour
Make a nerve free
Drain the abnormal blood or clot collection or to drain any excessive fluid collection caused by infection.
To implant artificial electronic device as a treatment for conditions like Parkinson's disease
Types:

Biopsy: A part of brain tissue is removed for the brain or whole tumour is removed.
Craniotomy: The skull bone is opened to remove tumour, an aneurysm and drain fluid or blood from infection.
Minimally invasive endonasal endoscopic surgery: Endoscopic devices are inserted through the nose to remove the lesions or tumour.
Minimally invasive neuroendoscopy: Similar to endonasal surgery but small incision is made.
Risks:

Anaesthesia risks like breathing difficulty, allergic reaction to medications, excessive bleeding or clots and infection.
Risk related to the brain surgeries are seizures, coma, swelling of brain, infection to brain or meanings, surgical wound infection that intrudes to the brain structures, abnormal clot formation and bleeding.
General risks include muscle weakness, disturbances in memory, speech, vision, coordination, balance and other functions that are controlled by the brain.

Brain Surgery - Know The Purpose Behind It!

With age, most body organs begin to deteriorate in their function. This happens to the brain also, thereby reducing the overall speed of functioning of most organs. While slowing of bodily movement is visible, the internal organs functioning also slows down, which is not that obvious. Memory loss or dementia is one of the main manifestations of this degeneration of the brain.

Alzheimer s is the most common form of dementia, and the associated symptoms includes reduced reasoning abilities and cognitive defects. Though it is seen only in the elderly, not all elderly people will have Alzheimer s. The overall quality of life of the affected person is reduced with difficulty remembering things that were recently learned. It is a progressive disease and as it gets more severe, a full-time caretaker may be required.

Causes: The brain cells are affected by protein masses known as plaques and tangles. These hamper the way communication between the brain cells happens as well as affect nutrition from reaching all parts of the brain. This leads to shrinking of the brain, eventually leading to memory loss and other problems. There is also a strong genetic linkage, as most people with Alzheimer s have the lipoprotein A gene.

Symptoms: Though memory loss is the most common symptom, there are other symptoms:

Being confused about places, people, and times
Inability to find the right words during conversations
Regular objects are misplaced
Becoming irritable, (in someone who was not so previously)
Mood swings
Personality changes
Inability to organise thoughts
Not able to make the right decisions
Repetitive talks and actions
Forgetfulness (not something the person always does)
Difficulty with numbers (again, not something calculations
Difficulty managing everyday tasks and minor problems
Suspicion of others (like immediate family members and friends)
Risk factors: While age is definitely a risk factor, the fact that not all aged people develop Alzheimer s is to be borne in mind. Other risk factors include the history of stroke, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, obesity, and poor lifestyle choices.

Diagnosis: While there is no definitive way to diagnose Alzheimer s, symptoms along with brain scans and neuropsychological function testing are useful ways to confirm the diagnosis.

Treatment: This is aimed at two things reducing the rate of disease progression and treat (or reverse) symptoms if possible.

Cholinesterase inhibitors improve cellular communication in the brain and also manage depression and agitation. Memantine is used to slow the pace of disease progression.
In people with the disease, small changes are useful to help them with the symptoms. These include keeping essential things like keys and wallet in the same place, keep a daily diary to help them remember things, keep pictures of friends and family within visible distance.

Alzheimer's - An Overview!

Study of the brain has fascinated specialists all over the globe since time immemorial. The brain being the most vital organ for survival and coordination is perhaps the most complex of them all too. This has led to a limited understanding of its working in spite of the available advanced technology. However, with the advent of techniques for diagnosis and treatment, therapeutic strategies are evolving. This is a major step towards rendering Neurosurgery safer than ever in the history of mankind.

Neurosurgery through the 20th Century-

During the beginning of the 20th century, Neurosurgery was considered as a specialty. The clinical-neurologist would draw conclusions related to lesions in the brain through neurological examination and clinical history. It enabled diagnosis of vascular lesions, spinal disorders, and brain tumors. During the second and third decades of the 20th century, vascular pathologies and brain tumors could be diagnosed indirectly through techniques like angiography, ventriculography, and pneumoencephalography. But since the operative techniques were too crude and the lack of skilled professionals were rampant, there were high rates of morbidity and mortality due to neurological conditions. Generally, after diagnosing the nature of brain lesion and its site, surgery was performed with inadequate maintenance and control of intracranial pressure and through not too sophisticated surgical instruments.

During the fifth and sixth decades of the 20th century, chemotherapy and radiation treatment came into the picture for treating malignant brain tumors, thereby reducing mortality to a good extent.

During the seventh decade of the 20th century, Computed Tomography (CT) scan provided a better understanding of the location of lesions in the brain which slightly substantiated the earlier techniques. Then, the procedures for cerebrospinal fluid diversion significantly improved management of intracranial pressure during surgery.

It was only during the last decade of the 20th century that the Neurology saw a giant progressive leap through the introduction of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and powerful high magnification microscopes. Combined with Neuroanesthesia and Intracranial Pressure Management, this aided surgeons to work on a relaxed brain. This promoted safe removal of the brain tumor and better management of vascular lesions. Moreover, the understanding of micro-surgical anatomy improved drastically, leading to a boost in confidence levels of the micro-neurosurgeons performing the operation.

Neurosurgery in the 21st Century-

The 21st century is actually a revolutionary era that uses powerful computers in almost all the fields possible. Computer-based applications such as Neuro-imaging, Neuronavigation, Intra-operative Neuro-monitoring, and Neuro-modulation are now used in standard neurosurgical practice as a part of the routine. Extremely powerful CT scans and MRIs are used for diagnosis before surgery. The advent of nanotechnology and its application in Neurosurgery is doing great and has a promising future ahead based on the current study of scenarios. Moreover, there is a possibility of most of the Neurosurgical procedures becoming minimally invasive. Frameless Stereotaxy is another technique that helps in locating the exact position of the tumor, which further helps the neurosurgeon in navigating with great precision the very sensitive, high-risk areas of the brain. Such techniques, to a great extent, have lowered mortality and morbidity, lessened the rate of recovery, and chances of infection related to Neurosurgery.

Take Away-

A number of techniques for diagnosis and precise location of the tumor in the brain have made Neurosurgery much safer today, due to advancement in science and technology, than it ever had been in the history of mankind.

Advancements In Neurosurgery - Know How Safe It Is!

Over 60 million people around the world suffer from epilepsy. This can be described as a brain disorder that causes seizures. However, it is important to note that seizures are not synonymous with epilepsy. A patient may be diagnosed with epilepsy only if there have two or more seizures that are unrelated to other medical conditions. Here are five facts you should know about epilepsy.

An epileptic person can have many different types of seizures.
Seizures are caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain cells. There are many different types of seizures. Seizures can make a person make abnormal movements, make him or her stare into space, make him or her unable to speak or make them shake vigorously and fall to the ground. Some seizures are easy to identify while others may go unnoticed.

Epilepsy can be caused by many factors
There are a number of factors that can cause epilepsy. The most common amongst them are - deprivation of oxygen at the time of birth, brain infections, head injuries, stroke, neurological diseases, tumors and genetic disorders. Infections can also cause epilepsy. In some cases, the actual cause may be difficult to identify.

A healthy diet, protecting the head from trauma (by wearing a helmet) and exercising can help prevent epilepsy. Expectant mothers should also follow a healthy prenatal plan.

The effect of epilepsy is much more in women as compared to men
Both men and women are susceptible to epilepsy. However, epilepsy can be harder to manage in women. This is because of their hormone structure. Pregnancy can also make epilepsy hard to manage and the seizures could also affect the baby. Thus, it is essential for pregnant mothers with epilepsy to take extra precautions and follow their doctor s advice strictly.

Epilepsy can be treated
Though epilepsy cannot be cured, there are many ways of treating epilepsy. The best form of treatment depends on the patient s medical history and neurological exams. Medication to stop seizures is the most common form of treatment. A special diet may also be prescribed along with this. In some cases, surgery may also be advised. Nerve stimulation may also be used to treat this condition.

Epilepsy is not contagious
Anyone can suffer from epilepsy but it cannot be transferred from one person to another. Thus, if you see someone having a stroke, you must immediately try to help them without worrying about your own health.

Epilepsy - 5 Common Facts About It!

What causes hearing loss? + How to ensure you can help it as you age

The partial or total inability to hear is known as hearing impairment or hearing loss. It can be present at birth, or develop later in life.

There are a number of factors, which may cause hearing loss

1. Age - Age is the biggest factor when it comes to the loss of hearing, and you may lose the ability to hear as you age. This condition is known as presbycusis. It becomes difficult to understand high-frequency sounds like that of a child or a woman when you get old.

2. Noise - When you are exposed to loud noises for a prolonged period of time, it damages your ears. This leads to loss of hearing. 5% of the total population of the world is affected by noise (the degree of suffering varies). It may be a result of continuous exposure to loud music or a sudden exposure to a loud noise like an explosion.

3. Hereditary disorders - Hearing disorder may be inherited by the dominant or recessive genes of parents in the child. 70-80% of these cases inherit from the recessive genes, whereas 20-25% inherit hearing loss from the dominant genes.

4. Trauma - Serious injuries of the head/ears may cause loss of hearing, which may be either temporary or permanent. When damage is caused to the brain, the brain fails to process the message conveyed by the ears. So even if the ears are totally functional, a person may face the problem in hearing.

5. Perinatal problems - The ototoxic effects on the fetus due to excess intake of alcohol during pregnancy lead to hearing the loss in about 64% of the infants born to alcoholic mothers.

Also, premature birth can be associated with hearing loss due to high risk of being exposed to noise in neonatal units.

Knowing about the causes of hearing loss can lead you a step closer to preventing this disorder as you age.

Here are some useful tips that can help prevent hearing loss:

1. Be more aware - You should be diligent and aware of the situations, which may risk your hearing ability and should try to avoid such situations as much as possible. Limit your exposure to sources of hazardous noises like firearms, firecrackers, concerts and clubs.

2. Take precautionary measures - If your occupation calls for working at an environment of loud noises, use earplugs or earmuffs to block out the excessive noise. Also, make sure that you work in a place where employers take all the necessary measures of noise control under the federal or state regulations.

3. Monitor your use of gadgets - Monitor and control the use of hearing devices, and try to reduce the use of headphones/ earphones as much as possible.



What causes hearing loss? + How to ensure you can help it as you age

Trigeminal neuralgia is specified by the condition of a chronic pain that influences the trigeminal nerve. This nerve transfers sensation from one s face to his/her brain. If a person is suffering from trigeminal neuralgia, then a gentle stimulation of face (sourced from brushing teeth or applying makeup) might generate a fright of agonizing pain. The affected person might experience short and mild attacks initially. However, the trigeminal neuralgia might progress and generate more-frequently and longer attack of severely critical pain. Women get affected by this situation more than men get and it is more prominently occur in individuals older than 50 years.

Trigeminal neuralgia does not mandatorily mean that you need to experience a lifelong pain. Various types of treatment alternatives are available and so doctors can usually handle the particular condition effectively by taking help of injections, medications or surgery. Various types of triggers might cause the pain regarding trigeminal neuralgia, such as eating, drinking, shaving, brushing teeth, touching face, smiling, washing face etc.

Symptoms

The symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia might comprise of one or more patterns and some of these are described below:

Sequences of serious, jolting or shooting pain that might generate as an electric shock
Spontaneous pain attacks or attacks stimulated by different activities like face touching, speaking, chewing, or brushing teeth. Pain attacks last from a few moments to some minutes.
It is not a comprehensive list because Trigeminal neuralgia hosts various other symptoms as well. If a person feels facial pain, specifically recurring or prolonged pain or if the person does not get relief through the utilization over-the-counter pain relievers, then that person must consult a doctor.
How does Radiofrequency Ablation treat Trigeminal Neuralgia?
Trigeminal Neuralgia is a chronic and painful condition that involves the trigeminal nerve. There are two separate trigeminal nerves on both sides of the face, which carry the sensations like pain from the face to the body. Each nerve has three branches- forehand, midface and chin and trigeminal neuralgia can cause intense pain in any of these areas.

Causes-

This occurs when the trigeminal nerve functioning is disrupted. When the blood vessel/artery and the trigeminal nerve at the base of your brain come in contact, it puts pressure on the nerves and causes pain.
It also occurs as a result of ageing or multiple sclerosis
A disorder that damages the myelin sheath protecting the nerves can trigger pain
Sometimes pain occurs from tumors, which compresses the trigeminal nerves
Surgical strokes, facial trauma or strokes can also be the root cause of excruciating pain
Triggers-

Shaving
Touching your face
Eating and drinking
Putting on makeup
Brushing
Washing your face
Symptoms-
The pain can be mild and for a shorter duration or it can happen frequently for longer durations. Some experience the pain in cycles where it can come and go for days or even for weeks. Gradually the intensity of the pain lessens.

Cure by Radio-frequency Ablation
The treatment of trigeminal neuralgia is often a challenging process in clinical practice. When medicines do not prove as effective, surgery is the desired option.

Procedure-

After applying local anaesthesia, the Pain Specialist carefully inserts a needle through the corner of your mouth to reach the trigeminal nerve
The doctors then wake up the patient after stimulating the nerves and ask them to feel the stimulation at the same place where they undergo pain. This confirms their targeted location
Once you fall asleep again, the Pain Specialist uses radiofrequency heat to injure the nerve enough to create numbness and removes the pain
How Effective is Radio-frequency Ablation?
The pain is cured almost in 98% of the patients. 50% of patients report recurrence of pain after about two years. Hence the procedure can be repeated in the same patient if necessary.

Trigeminal Neuralgia And Radio-Frequency Ablation - What Causes It?

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