Diseases of the central nervous system: organic, neurodegenerative, infectious, vascular. Diagnosis of central nervous system diseases in Moscow

Central nervous system degeneration is irreversible organic and functional changes in the spinal cord and brain that lead to mental degeneration. There are many types of diseases, the consequences of which are disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system. Accordingly, treatment will depend on the type of disease and the causes that cause it. Unfortunately, not all diseases of the central nervous system are treatable. Successful therapy for degenerative diseases of the central nervous system is performed at the Yusupov Hospital.

Degenerative diseases of the central nervous system: general concepts

The main characteristics of the group of degenerative diseases of the central nervous system are the following criteria:

diseases begin unnoticed; before their appearance, the nervous system could function absolutely normally;
diseases have a gradually progressive course and can last for years or decades;
some degenerative diseases are associated with hereditary factors and develop in several members of the same family;
a neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system is characterized by the gradual death of neurons and their replacement by glial elements;
atrophic processes at the initial stage of pathology development occur in a specific area of one of the cerebral hemispheres; further, during the advanced stage of degeneration, atrophy in the brain becomes almost symmetrical.

Various diseases of the central nervous system, the list of which is quite long, remain under study. The reasons for the occurrence of atrophic processes during the normal functioning of the nervous system for most of a person’s life are not reliably known. However, there are a number of factors that can trigger brain degeneration:

alcohol abuse, drug addiction;
toxic effects of pesticides and herbicides;
meningococcal infection;
viral encephalitis;
deficiency of vitamin B12 and folic acid.

Why does the disorder develop?

Somatoform disorder is a disease of a psychological nature in which the symptoms of damage to internal organs are functional, not organic.

Such dysfunction is detected in 0.5% of the world's population, and it affects mainly women. The reason lies, first of all, in the psychological state of a person.

The first group of factors influencing the occurrence of the syndrome is heredity and character traits. For example, people with asthenoneurotic and hysterical types of character are more likely to develop it. They are characterized by hypersensitivity, timid or demonstrative behavior. Such people are characterized by rapid nervous exhaustion; as a rule, they are pessimistic.

The second group is psychogenic traumatic external influences. These include acute stress factors, when a powerful psychological blow at once leads to a disorder of nervous activity. This could be the loss of a loved one, a decrease in social status, or a situation of severe fear.

Chronic stress occurs as a result of systematic mental and physical overstrain, lack of positive emotions, unmet needs and excessive demands on oneself.

It is worth noting that somatoform disorder very often develops in people who are emotionally stingy, hide their feelings, and do not know how to express them. And since emotions need a way out in any case, they find it in this unique way. A similar state can accompany members of religious families, where an atmosphere of strict morality reigns.

Other factors that provoke the disorder include complicated pregnancy, trauma, infections, and some somatic diseases.

Organic diseases of the central nervous system

The presence of an organic disease of the central nervous system means that the brain is defective. The pathology can be congenital or acquired. Neurologists say that organic disorders of the central nervous system of the first stage can be found in 98% of the population, but they do not require treatment. The second and third stages are characterized by more serious lesions and are accompanied by significant deviations.

Congenital organic brain lesions occur during embryonic development or during childbirth as a result of birth trauma. The reasons for their appearance may be unfavorable factors that influenced the pregnant woman:

woman's use of alcohol and drugs;
severe influenza or other infectious diseases during pregnancy;
the effect of certain medications;
severe stress.

Acquired organic lesions can occur after a stroke, traumatic brain injury, alcohol and drug abuse, and infectious diseases with brain damage.

Among the diseases that are caused by organic lesions of the central nervous system, mental retardation and dementia are distinguished. With oligophrenia, mental retardation occurs. The disease occurs during fetal development or in the first year of life. Children have reduced intelligence and poorly developed speech and motor skills. With dementia, there is a loss of previously acquired skills and knowledge. Gradually, dementia leads to complete degradation of a person. Considering this disease of the central nervous system, the symptoms are the following: impaired memory, speech, orientation in space, a person cannot learn new things and loses old skills and knowledge.

Symptoms

With mild damage to the central nervous system in newborns, the syndrome of increased neuro-reflex excitability is most often observed, which is manifested by shuddering, increased or decreased muscle tone, increased reflexes, tremor (shaking) of the chin and limbs, restless shallow sleep, and frequent “unreasonable” crying. With moderate damage to the central nervous system in the first days of life, children more often have depression of the central nervous system in the form of decreased motor activity and decreased muscle tone, weakened reflexes of newborns, including sucking and swallowing reflexes. By the end of the 1st month of life, depression of the central nervous system gradually disappears, and in some children it is replaced by increased arousal. With an average degree of damage to the central nervous system, disturbances in the functioning of internal organs and systems are observed in the form of uneven coloring of the skin (marbling of the skin) due to imperfect regulation of vascular tone, disturbances in the rhythm of breathing and heart contractions, dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract in the form of unstable stools, constipation, frequent regurgitation, flatulence. Less commonly, a convulsive syndrome may occur, in which paroxysmal twitching of the limbs and head, episodes of shuddering and other manifestations of seizures are observed. Long-term disorders of muscle tone often lead to delayed psychomotor development in children. With delayed motor development, the child later begins to hold his head, sit, crawl, and walk. Poor facial expressions, late appearance of a smile, decreased interest in toys and environmental objects, as well as a weak monotonous cry, delayed appearance of humming and babbling should alert parents to the delay in mental development of the baby. By the age of one year, in most children, manifestations of perinatal lesions of the central nervous system gradually disappear or their minor manifestations persist. Frequent consequences of perinatal lesions include: delayed mental, motor or speech development; cerebroasthenic syndrome (it is manifested by mood swings, motor restlessness, restless sleep, weather dependence), attention deficit hyperactivity syndrome. The most unfavorable outcomes are epilepsy, hydrocephalus, and cerebral palsy, indicating severe perinatal damage to the central nervous system.

Infectious diseases of the central nervous system

Infectious diseases of the central nervous system are among the most common neurological pathologies. CNS diseases caused by infection are very dangerous. They have a severe course, leave serious consequences and significant neurological deficits. Infectious diseases of the central nervous system can be caused by bacteria, viruses, and fungal diseases. Most often, diseases develop when meningococcus, staphylococcus, pneumococcus, ECHO and Coxsackie enteroviruses, mumps, and candida enter the body. The entry gates for infection are the ENT organs; it is also transmitted by contact, hematogenous, lymphogenous, and perineural routes.

The infection can affect the nervous system as a primary disease or occur secondarily as a result of the development of an infectious process outside the central nervous system. Infectious diseases of the central nervous system include:

meningitis,
encephalitis,
polio,
syphilis of the nervous system,
toxoplasmosis of the nervous system,
neurological manifestations of HIV infection,
parasitic diseases of the nervous system.

Somatoform dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system

The syndrome develops when there is a malfunction of the autonomic nervous system, which controls the functioning of internal organs, blood vessels, and is responsible for the course of physiological processes and the mobilization of the body as a whole.

The ANS consists of 2 sections: parasympathetic and sympathetic.

The sympathetic nervous system increases the heart rate, constricts blood vessels and increases blood pressure. Increases sweating and slows down intestinal motility. It relaxes the bladder, dilates the bronchi and pupil. Sympathy speeds up metabolism and activates the body as a whole.

The parasympathetic system has the opposite effect. But, despite the opposition of departments, normal well-being of a person is ensured by their coordinated work. Any malfunctions in the functioning of both systems cause various pathological sensations and syndromes, in particular, somatoform dysfunction.

There are 3 types of disorders:

with a predominance of sympathy;
with a predominance of parasympathetics;
mixed.

According to the flow, stable and paroxysmal, with vascular and other types of crisis are distinguished.

Pathology can be primary, that is, it develops on its own, or secondary, after previous illnesses. Its symptoms manifest themselves under the influence of a psychotraumatic factor.

Such patients are characterized, first of all, by the appearance of vegetative signs: severe sweating, tremors of the limbs, paleness and redness of the skin.

Another group of signs expresses the dysfunction of internal organs under the control of the ANS:

cough, shortness of breath, laryngeal spasm;
tachycardia, arrhythmia, blood pressure changes. Heart pain does not have a clear localization and can be of various types. It happens that they are accompanied by a feeling of anxiety or fear. They are worse at rest, but go away during physical activity. Lasts from a few minutes to several days. Heart symptoms are so believable that they sometimes confuse even specialists;
abdominal pain, bloating, difficulty swallowing; “bear disease” - diarrhea under the influence of stress;
difficulty urinating, urinary incontinence;
headaches, fatigue, poor sleep.

The complaints are numerous, but lack specifics. They signal a disruption in the functioning of several organs at once.

Patients are concerned about their condition, but still not to the same extent as hypochondriacs. They strive to find a way out of the situation and receive adequate treatment.

Vascular diseases of the central nervous system

Poor circulation in the brain provokes the development of vascular diseases of the central nervous system. These pathologies are extremely dangerous because in most cases they lead to disability. Also, vascular diseases of the central nervous system have a high mortality rate. Brain damage occurs as a result of ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, transient ischemic attacks, and spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhages. The causes of such pathologies are:

aneurysms,
thromboembolism,
vascular atherosclerosis,
hypertonic disease,
acute toxic damage to the walls of blood vessels,
chronic degenerative diseases of the walls of blood vessels.

The trigger for the development of strokes can be severe stress, seizures, alcohol intoxication, and sudden changes in body temperature. Vascular disease of the central nervous system most often occurs spontaneously and requires immediate medical attention.

Treatment and diagnosis of degenerative diseases of the central nervous system

The danger of degenerative diseases of the central nervous system is that they are difficult to predict. If there are provoking factors in a person’s life, it is recommended to lead a healthy lifestyle and regularly visit a neurologist for preventive examinations. If you suspect signs of a central nervous system disease, you should immediately consult a doctor. The earlier the disease is detected, the greater the chance of slowing down the progression of degenerative processes in the brain.

Diagnosis and treatment of degenerative diseases will depend on the type of pathology. Having determined the clinical picture of the disease, the doctor will prescribe tests to clarify the patient’s condition. These may include laboratory tests, ultrasound, MRI, CT, and psychological tests to determine the status of cognitive skills.

At the Yusupov Hospital in Moscow there is a neurology clinic, where highly qualified neurologists and doctors of sciences provide assistance. Doctors at the Yusupov Hospital have extensive experience in treating degenerative diseases of the central nervous system and use the latest methods of therapy and rehabilitation in their work, which allows them to take on the most complex cases.

You can ask for help, make an appointment and get advice from specialists by phone.