Brain Damage and
Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity or brain
plasticity refers to the
Neuroplasticity brain's ability to reorganize
itself by forming new
neural connections.
Brain Damage
Brain damage refers to the
destruction or degeneration of
brain cells.
Causes of brain damage: brain
tumors, cerebrovascular disorders,
closed head injuries, infections of
the brain, neurotoxins, and genetic
factors.
The National Cancer Institute defines a
tumor as “an abnormal mass of tissue that
results when cells divide more than they
Types Of should or do not die when they should.”
Brain A brain tumor is a growth of cells in the
Damage: brain or near it. Brain tumors can happen in
the brain tissue. Brain tumors also can
happen near the brain tissue.
BRAIN
TUMORS Brain tumors grow from infiltrating cells
that are carried to the brain by the
bloodstream from some other part of the
body.
Types of Brain Tumors:
Meningioma
Tumors that grow between the meninges, the three membranes that
cover the central nervous system
Signs and symptoms of a meningioma typically
begin gradually and may be very subtle at first.
Depending on where in the brain or, rarely,
spine the tumor is situated, signs and
symptoms may include:
• Changes in vision, such as seeing double or
blurriness
• Headaches, especially those that are worse
in the morning
• Hearing loss or ringing in the ears
• Memory loss
• Loss of smell
• Seizures
• Weakness in your arms or legs
• Language difficulty
ENCAPSULATED TUMORS
Tumors that grow within their own membrane
BENIGN TUMORS
A benign tumor is an abnormal but
noncancerous collection of cells. It can
form anywhere on or in your body when
cells multiply more than they should or
don’t die when they should.
Tumors that are surgically removable with
little risk of further growth in the body.
• Bleeding (for example, with a fibroid in the uterus).
• Headaches, seizures or trouble seeing (for example, with a
Many benign brain tumor).
• Loss of appetite or weight loss (for example, a tumor near
neoplasms don’t cause your stomach or intestines).
any symptoms at all. • Pain or discomfort in any area of your body.
• Trouble breathing (when the tumor is near your mouth,
But if they grow large nose, throat or lungs).
enough to press on
On the skin, you can often see and feel benign tumors. They
bodily structures, they may be:
may cause: • Discolored (often red or brown).
• Firm or soft when you press on them.
• Raised, like bumps.
• Round, with smooth, even edges.
• Smooth or rough to the touch.
MALIGNANT TUMORS
Malignant tumors have cells that Malignant tumors can spread
grow uncontrollably and spread rapidly and require treatment to
locally and/or to distant sites. avoid spread. If they are caught
Malignant tumors are cancerous early, treatment is likely to be
(i.e., they invade other sites). They surgery with possible chemotherapy
spread to distant sites via the or radiotherapy. If the cancer has
bloodstream or the lymphatic spread, the treatment is likely to be
system. This spread is called systemic, such as chemotherapy or
metastasis. immunotherapy.
GLIOMAS
Brain tumors that develop from glial
cells
It is a common type of tumor
originating in the brain. About 33
percent of all brain tumors are gliomas,
which originate in the glial cells that
surround and support neurons in the
brain, including astrocytes,
oligodendrocytes, and ependymal cells.
Gliomas are called intra-axial brain
tumors because they grow within the
substance of the brain and often mix
with normal brain tissue.
What are the different
types of gliomas?
Astrocytomas
Astrocytomas are glial cell tumors developed from
connective tissue cells called astrocytes and are the most
common primary intra-axial brain tumor, accounting for
nearly half of all primary brain tumors. They are most
often found in the cerebrum (the large, outer part of the
brain), but also in the cerebellum (located at the base of
the brain).
Astrocytomas can develop in adults or in children. High-
grade astrocytomas, called glioblastoma multiforme, are
the most malignant of all brain tumors.
Pilocytic astrocytomas are low-grade cerebellum gliomas
commonly found in children. In adults, astrocytomas are
more common in the cerebrum.
Brain stem gliomas
Also called diffuse infiltrating brainstem gliomas, or DIBGs, are rare
tumors found in the brain stem.
They usually cannot be surgically removed because of their remote
location, where they intertwine with normal brain tissue and affect
the delicate and complex functions this area controls.
Ependymomas
Ependymomas develop from ependymal cells lining of the ventricles or in the spinal cord.
Ependymomas are rare, accounting for just 2 percent to 3 percent of primary brain tumors.
However, they account for about 8 percent to 10 percent of brain tumors in children, and are
more likely to affect those younger than 10 years old.
The most common location for ependymomas in children is near the cerebellum, where the
tumor can block the flow of the cerebral spinal fluid and cause increased pressure inside the
skull (obstructive hydrocephalus.) These tumors can spread to other parts of the brain or
spinal cord (drop-metastases) due to the flow of spinal fluid.
Mixed gliomas
(also called oligo-astrocytomas)
are made up of more than one
type of glial cell. Their diagnosis
as a distinct tumor type is
controversial and may be
resolved with genetic screening of
tumor tissue.
Oligodendrogliomas
form from oligodendrocytes, the supportive tissue cells
of the brain, and are usually found in the cerebrum.
About 2 percent to 4 percent of primary brain tumors
are oligodendrogliomas.
They are most common in young and middle-aged
adults and more likely to occur in men. Seizures are a
very common symptom of these gliomas (affecting 50
percent to 80 percent of patients), as well as headache,
weakness, or problems with speech.
Optic pathway gliomas
are a type of low-grade tumor found in the optic nerve
or chiasm, where they often infiltrate the optic nerves,
which send messages from the eyes to the brain.
Optic nerve gliomas can cause vision loss and hormone
problems, since these tumors are often located at the
base of the brain where hormonal control is located.
Gliomas affecting hormone function may be known as
hypothalamic gliomas.
What are the
symptoms of
glioma?
Gliomas cause symptoms by pressing
on the brain or spinal cord. The most
common, including glioblastoma
symptoms are:
• Headaches
• Seizures
• Personality changes
• Weakness in the arms, face or legs
• Numbness
• Problems with speech
• Other symptoms include:
• Nausea and vomiting
• Vision loss
• Dizziness
Glioma Treatment
The treatment for a glioma depends on its grade. There are four grades of brain tumors;
however, gliomas are most often referred to as "low grade" (grades I or II) or "high grade"
(grades III or IV), based on the tumor’s growth potential and aggressiveness.
The best treatment for an individual patient takes into account the tumor location,
potential symptoms, and potential benefits versus risks of the different treatment options
(modalities).
Treatment for a glioma is customized to the individual patient and may include surgery,
radiation therapy, chemotherapy or observation.
STROKE
A stroke, sometimes called a brain
attack, occurs when something blocks
blood supply to part of the brain or
when a blood vessel in the brain
bursts.
In either case, parts of the brain
become damaged or die. A stroke can
cause lasting brain damage, long-term
disability, or even death.
STROKE
Sudden-onset cerebrovascular disorders that
cause brain damage
5th leading cause of death, the major cause
of neurological dysfunction, and a leading
cause of adult disability
The symptoms of stroke depend on the area
of the brain affected, but common
consequences of stroke are amnesia, aphasia
(language difficulties), psychiatric disorders,
dementia, paralysis, and coma
What happens in the brain during a stroke?
To work properly, your brain needs
The brain controls our movements,
oxygen. Your arteries deliver oxygen-
stores our memories, and is the source
rich blood to all parts of your brain. If
of our thoughts, emotions, and
something happens to block the flow
language. The brain also controls many
of blood, brain cells start to die within
functions of the body, like breathing
minutes, because they can’t get
and digestion.
oxygen. This causes a stroke.
TWO MAJOR TYPES OF
STROKES:
1. CEREBRAL HEMORRHAGE
• Bleeding in the brain
• Occurs when a cerebral blood vessel ruptures
and blood seeps into the surrounding neural
tissue and damages it.
• Bursting aneurysms are a common cause of
intracerebral hemorrhage.
2. CEREBRAL ISCHEMIA
• Disruption of the blood supply to an area of
the brain
