Brain Diseases

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Summary

The brain is the control center of the body. It controls thoughts, memory, speech, and movement. It regulates the function of many organs. When the brain is healthy, it works quickly and automatically. However, when problems occur, the results can be devastating.

Inflammation in the brain can lead to problems such as vision loss, weakness and paralysis. Loss of brain cells, which happens if you suffer a stroke, can affect your ability to think clearly. Brain tumors can also press on nerves and affect brain function. Some brain diseases are genetic. And we do not know what causes some brain diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease.

The symptoms of brain diseases vary widely depending on the specific problem. In some cases, damage is permanent. In other cases, treatments such as surgery, medicines, or physical therapy can correct the source of the problem or improve symptoms.

Start Here

Brain Basics: Know Your Brain (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Latest News

Type 2 Diabetes May Be Bad for Brain Health (04/28/2017, HealthDay)

Diagnosis and Tests

Computed Tomography (CT) -- Head (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) -- Head (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
Magnetic Resonance, Functional (fMRI) -- Brain (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - PDF Also in Spanish
Neurological Diagnostic Tests and Procedures (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

About Neurointerventions (Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery)
Intracranial Hypertension: Medication and Surgery (Intracranial Hypertension Research Foundation)

Specifics

Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) Also in Spanish
Brain Lesions (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Central Pontine Myelinolysis (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Cerebral Atrophy (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Cysts (American Brain Tumor Association)
Encephalopathy (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Hepatic Encephalopathy (American Liver Foundation)
Klüver-Bucy Syndrome (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Neuronal Migration Disorders (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Periventricular Leukomalacia (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Porencephaly (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Pseudotumor Cerebri (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Pseudotumor Cerebri (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
What Is IH (Intracranial Hypertension)? (Intracranial Hypertension Research Foundation)

Genetics

Genetics Home Reference: acute necrotizing encephalopathy type 1 (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: biotin-thiamine-responsive basal ganglia disease (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: COL4A1-related brain small-vessel disease (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: familial idiopathic basal ganglia calcification (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: familial porencephaly (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: hereditary cerebral amyloid angiopathy (National Library of Medicine)

Images

Craniotomy - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Videos and Tutorials

Athetosis resulting from basal ganglia injury (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Brain components (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Brain Diseases (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Reference Desk

Brain and Nervous System (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Brain Basics (National Institute of Mental Health)
Brain Facts: Glossary (Society for Neuroscience) - PDF
Your Brain and Nervous System (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Find an Expert

Find a Neurologist (American Academy of Neurology)
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

Basal ganglia dysfunction (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Brain abscess (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Brain surgery (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Central pontine myelinolysis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) collection (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
EEG (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Hepatic encephalopathy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Pseudotumor cerebri (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish