Is cerebral atrophy a stroke?
Brain atrophy — or cerebral atrophy — is the loss of brain cells called neurons. Atrophy also destroys the connections that help the cells communicate. It can be a result of many different diseases that damage the brain, including stroke and Alzheimer’s disease.
What does cerebral atrophy look like?
Symptoms of cerebral atrophy include dementia, seizures, loss of motor control, and difficulty with speaking, comprehension or reading. Dementia, which is marked by memory loss and an inability to perform daily activities, may be mild or severe and may worsen with increasing atrophy.
How is cerebral atrophy diagnosed?
The tests prescribed in the diagnosis of cerebral atrophy are quite long and complex. These tests include, Neuroimaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).
What is cerebral and cerebellar atrophy?
Cerebral atrophy is the loss of brain cells, called neurons, and their electrochemical connectors, called synapses. This cell loss results in brain shrinkage and, depending on its source and extent, declines in cognitive ability. Cerebral atrophy occurs naturally in all humans.
What are the symptoms of cerebellar atrophy?
Cerebellar degeneration is primarily characterized by a wide-legged, unsteady, lurching walk that is usually accompanied by a back and forth tremor in the trunk of the body. Other signs and symptoms may include slow, unsteady and jerky movement of the arms or legs; slowed and slurred speech; and nystagmus .
What are the two types of atrophy?
Muscle atrophy is the wasting or loss of muscle tissue. There are two types of muscle atrophy: disuse and neurogenic. The first type of muscle atrophy is disuse atrophy and occurs from a lack of physical exercise. In most people, muscle atrophy is caused by not using the muscles enough.
What are 4 potential causes of atrophy?
Causes of atrophy include mutations (which can destroy the gene to build up the organ), poor nourishment, poor circulation, loss of hormonal support, loss of nerve supply to the target organ, excessive amount of apoptosis of cells, and disuse or lack of exercise or disease intrinsic to the tissue itself.