Acquired brain damage: its 3 main causes

April 4, 2024

Know the causes that damage the brain and the consequences originated in behavior is vital in the study of neuropsychology. Thanks to the appearance of functional and structural neuroimaging techniques, it has been possible to study damaged brain structures from the moment of injury, as well as their subsequent evolution.

Also, in most cases there are physical, cognitive and emotional sequelae that end up generating some type of disability.

Causes of acquired brain damage in adults

In adults, The following causes of acquired brain damage stand out (DCA)

1. Stroke

Cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) differ in two subtypes: ischemic and hemorrhagic , the former being more frequent. Ischemic stroke is characterized by the interruption of blood flow in a certain area of the brain that prevents the supply of oxygen and glucose, resulting in a heart attack. There are three main causes:

Thrombosis . It is the most frequent cause in cerebral infarcts, and its origin is found in the obstruction of an artery due to the formation of a clot or fat buffer.
Embolism . It is based on the obstruction of an artery following a clot that is dragged from the point where it originated. To read more about this phenomenon you can read this article.
Aneurysm . It occurs when an artery dilates as a result of the weakness of its walls, giving the appearance of expansive balloon.

On the other hand, hemorrhagic stroke, based on the shedding of blood because of the rupture of arteries , highlighting intracerebral and subarachnoid hemorrhages.

2. Traumatic brain injuries

Cranioencephalic Trauma (TBI) is the leading cause of death among the youngest . Brain damage is caused as a consequence of external agents such as traffic accidents, falls, accidents at work, etc.

Open TBIs are due to brain injuries as a result of injuries to the skull or fractures that reach the brain, although they do not usually affect the state of consciousness.

On the other hand, closed cranioencephalic traumatisms they are usually accompanied by coma , derived mostly from traffic accidents. Of note in these cases is contusion with small hemorrhages in superficial vessels as main damage, and it can also cause axonal damage with the consequent loss of myelin that may cause deficits in attention, memory and information processing, especially when the lobes involved are the Frontal and temporary.

Related article: The 6 levels of loss of consciousness and associated disorders "

3. Tumors

Tumors are expansive processes that can originate in any part of the brain . These are divided into primary, when they originate in the brain itself, or secondary, when they come from the metastasis of other areas of the body. The danger depends on its ability to infiltrate the organ and its capacity for proliferation.

The most common are gliomas , derived from glial cells such as astrocytes, being glioblastoma multiforme the most lethal, since it has to rapidly invade brain tissue, so that when it is diagnosed it is usually too late to perform a good treatment.

How is medically intervened?

Identify risk factors for brain damage It is of vital importance for primary prevention, the main ones being age, genetic vulnerability and previous vascular diseases, as well as the presence of heart disease, hypertension, obesity and substance use among others.

The prognosis will depend in all cases on the age of the patient, as well as on the extension and the brain area affected In the case of stroke, treatment must be very fast, since otherwise it may worsen and sequelae may occur, so that in addition to drugs that reduce blood pressure, surgical intervention is often necessary to reduce bleeding.