Brain Pathology

Brain Pathology is the study of diseases affecting the structure and function of the central nervous system, specifically the brain. It is a specialized branch of pathology, a medical discipline that involves the examination of tissues and body fluids to diagnose disease. Brain pathology is a critical field in understanding and treating various neurological disorders and conditions.

Overview

Brain pathology encompasses a wide range of diseases and conditions. These include neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, brain tumors, traumatic brain injury, stroke, and infectious diseases of the brain like meningitis and encephalitis.

Neurodegenerative Diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the progressive loss of structure or function of neurons, including their death. These diseases are incurable and debilitating conditions that result in progressive degeneration and death of nerve cells. This causes problems with movement (ataxia) or mental functioning (dementia).

Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and worsens over time. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events.

Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease is a long-term degenerative disorder of the nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms generally come on slowly over time. Early in the disease, the most obvious are shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement, and difficulty with walking.

Brain Tumors

A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant or cancerous tumors and benign tumors.

Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs from sudden trauma which causes damage to the brain. TBI can result when the head suddenly and violently hits an object, or when an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue.

Stroke

A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain results in cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding.

Infectious Diseases

Infectious diseases of the brain include meningitis, an inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord known as the meninges, and encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain.

See Also

• Neuropathology
• Neurology
• Neuroscience