3. 3 Chapter Main Points Problems in Diagnosis Types of Acquired Brain Disorders The Epilepsies
4. 4 Problems in Diagnosis: Specifying the Type of Injury Delirium: A transient, global disorder of cognition and attention
5. 5 Problems in Diagnosis: Specifying the Type of Injury Specific Cognitive Impairments: Impairment of attention and arousal Impairment of language function Impairment of learning and memory Impairment of visual-perception function
6. 6 Problems in Diagnosis: Specifying the Type of Injury Specific Cognitive Impairments: Impairment of motor skills Impairment of executive function Impairment of higher-order intellectual function
7. 7 Problems in Diagnosis: Specifying the Type of Injury Dementia: The impairment of at least two cognitive functions, resulting in a decline from a higher level of performance that compromises a person’s occupational or social functioning
8. 8 Types of Acquired Brain Injuries: Cerebral Infection Cerebral Abscess: An infection that becomes encapsulated by connective tissue Encephalitis: Inflammation of the brain “Mad Cow” Disease: A fatal infectious disease that attacks the brain in both animals and humans
9. 9 Types of Acquired Brain Injuries: Cerebral Infection Meningitis: An acute inflammation of the meninges Neurosyphilis: Deterioration of brain tissue as a result of syphilis AIDS-related Dementia: Diffuse brain damage as a result of the HIV virus
10. 10 Types of Acquired Brain Injuries: Brain Trauma Brain Trauma: Injury to brain tissue as a result of jarring, bruising, or cutting Concussion: A blow to the head that jars the brain, momentarily disrupting its functioning
11. 11 Types of Acquired Brain Injuries: Brain Trauma
12. 12 Types of Acquired Brain Injuries: Brain Trauma Contusion: Trauma is severe enough that the brain is not just jarred; it is actually bruised Laceration: A foreign object enters the skull and directly ruptures and destroys brain tissue
13. 13 Types of Acquired Brain Injuries: the Case of Phineas Gage
14. 14 Types of Acquired Brain Injuries: Cerebrovascular Accidents Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA): Stroke Blockage or breaking of the blood vessels in the brain results in injury to brain tissue Infarction (e.g., due to heart attack) Supply of blood to the brain is somehow cut off, resulting in the death of brain tissue fed by that source
15. 15 Types of Acquired Brain Injuries: Cerebrovascular Accidents Hemorrhage A blood vessel in the brain ruptures, causing blood to spill out into the brain tissue
16. 16 Types of Acquired Brain Injuries: Brain Tumors Metastatic brain tumors Originate in a different part of the body and then metastasize, or spread, to the brain Primary brain tumors Tumors that originate in the brain
17. 17 Types of Acquired Brain Injuries: Degenerative Disorders Degenerative Disorders: General deterioration of intellectual, emotional, and motor functioning as a result of progressive pathological change in the brain
18. 18 Types of Acquired Brain Injuries: Degenerative Disorders Alzheimer’s Disease: Cognitive deficits as a result of neurofibrillary tangles (twisted and distorted nerve fibers) and senile plaques (microscopic lesions in the neurons)
19. 19 Types of Acquired Brain Injuries: Degenerative Disorders Lewy Body Disease: Symptoms are similar to Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease Day-to-day fluctuations in the patient’s mental state
20. 20 Types of Acquired Brain Injuries: Degenerative Disorders Vascular Dementia: The cumulative effect of a number of small strokes, eventually impairing many of the brain’s faculties Huntington’s Chorea: Genetically transmitted disorder that is a result of damage to the basal ganglia
21. 21 Types of Acquired Brain Injuries: Degenerative Disorders Parkinson’s Disease: Damage to the basal ganglia, particularly in the region known as the substantia nigra Primary Symptoms: Tremors Expressionless, masklike countenance
22. 22 Types of Acquired Brain Injuries: Nutritional Deficiency Korsakoff’s Psychosis: Most common among alcoholics Anterograde Amnesia: The inability to incorporate new memories Confabulation: The tendency to fill in memory gaps with invented stories
24. 24 Types of Acquired Brain Injuries: Toxic Disorders Lead Encephalopathy: Excessive ingestion of lead results in fluid accumulating in the brain, causing extreme pressure Other heavy-metal toxins Psychoactive drugs Carbon monoxide poisoning
25. 25 The Epilepsies Epilepsy: Primary symptom is spontaneous seizures caused by a disruption of the electrical and physiological activity of the brain cells
26. 26 Causes of Epilepsy Symptomatic Epilepsy: Cases in which the origin of the seizures can be identified Idiopathic Epilepsy: Epilepsy in which the origin of the seizures is unknown
27. 27 Types of Seizures Partial Seizures: Originate in one part of the brain rather than in the brain as a whole Simple Partial Seizures: Cognitive functioning remains intact Complex Partial Seizure: Interrupts cognitive functioning
28. 28 Types of Seizures Generalized Seizures: Either involve the entire brain at the outset or soon spread from one part of the whole brain Absence Seizures (“petit mal” type) Tonic-clonic Seizures (“grand mal” type)
29. 29 Recapping the Main Points Problems in Diagnosis Types of Acquired Brain Disorders The Epilepsies
30. 30 End of Chapter 15 Neuropsychological Disorders