Neurosurgical Instruments

Radiosurgery: Operating on the brain without a scalpel

harry — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 06:18:23 +0000

Brain surgical operation has never been easy from the time of its inception. Once a tumor or other deformity is positioned deep inside the brain the neurosurgeons may possibly destroy or injure healthy brain tissue while doing the surgical operation to detach the tumor. In case of radiosurgery no cuts or openings of the brain are required to be performed. Doctors operate the newest imaging machinery to determine atypical sections in the brain with pinpoint precision as a result an array of radiation beams can be concentrate exactly on the target from numerous varied directions. (more…)

Stroke

neurosurgicalinstruments — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 10:06:19 +0000

A stroke, also known as CVA or cerebrovascular accident, is sometimes called a brain attack. A stroke can injure the brain like a heart attack can injure the heart. A stroke occurs when part of the brain does not get the blood it needs.There are two types of stroke. These are the Ischemic stroke that happens when blood is blocked from getting to the brain. This is the most common type of stroke, which often happens because the artery is clogged with fatty deposits, other known as atherosclerosis, or a blood clot. And the other one is Hemorrhagic stroke. This type of stroke happens when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, and blood bleeds into the brain. This type of stroke can be caused by an aneurysm, a thin or weak spot in an artery that balloons out and can burst.Both types of stroke can cause brain cells to die. This may cause a person to lose control of their speech, movement, and memory. (more…)

Deep Brain Stimulation – A New Neurological Treatment of Parkinsons

neurosurgicalinstruments — Mon, 21 May 2007 05:47:31 +0000

Aside from dopaminergic medications that increase levels of dopamine in the brain or copy and prolong the effects of dopamine, there are other treatment modalities suggested for Parkinsons disease. It is believed in the past that Vitamin E can help delay or prevent the occurrence of Parkinsons disease. The average age for Parkinsons diseases occurrence usually start at 60 years. However, this theory that Vitamin E helps in preventing Parkinsons disease has no been proven by studies. It is also believed that exercising can be helpful in patients with Parkinsons. With exercise, you can improve your patients muscle strength, help in coordination and balancing abilities, improve bowel function by promoting intestinal movement and function, and overall, improve the patients strength of bones. This will then result to an overall better feeling for the patient, and this will aid in making him maintain and stay in shape, and improve on his performance on executing activities of daily living. (more…)

Parkinsons Disease, A Common Neurologic Disorder

neurosurgicalinstruments — Mon, 21 May 2007 05:46:47 +0000

Parkinsons disease is a movement disorder. It is considered a disorder in the central nervous system. It is both a chronic and progressive disease. In Parkinsons disease, there is very few dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a chemical substance produced by certain microscopic cells in the brain. However, in cases of Parkinsons disease, these cells in certain parts of the brain are damaged or dead. Dopamine is a chemical that carries messages to the brain telling the body to move, how to move and when to move. The depletion of this neurologic chemical causes the body to have difficulty in executing movement. Parkinsons disease lasts for a long time. It also gets worse over time. Genetic factors, toxins in the environment such as pesticides, and free radical chemicals that build up in the brain causing the microscopic cells to get damaged are all linked to Parkinson disease. Some cases of very fast brain cell loss are also considered to be a possible cause of Parkinson disease for some people. The four main symptoms of Parkinsons disease involve tremors, rigid trunk and extremities, slow movement or bradykinesia and poor coordination of movements and balance. (more…)

Diagnosing And The Neurosurgical Treatment of Epilepsy

neurosurgicalinstruments — Mon, 21 May 2007 05:44:24 +0000

In order to diagnose and confirm epilepsy, several diagnostic tests are required to be undergone by the patient. The most frequently used test, also considered the diagnostic tool for epilepsy, is a test called electroencephalography. This test reads the persons brain electrical activity. For people with epilepsy, they usually have abnormal brain wave patterns, even at the absence of seizure. However, the test is said to be most accurate if it is taken within the first 24 hours after a seizure attack. When a child without fever is having convulsive seizures, or when an adult has his very first seizure, the test more often commnly used is called brain imaging. CT scan or CAT scan and MRI are tests used to reveal the true brain structure of the person, identifying presence of possible tumors, cysts and other structural abnormalities in the brain, as pictured by the precise images the tests result to. PET scan and functional MRI tests are used to monitor and detect abnormalities in the brain activity of a person with epilepsy. Blood tests may reveal infections, anemia, diabetes and lead poisoning – all linked to seizure attacks. Microscopic examinations are also done for blood analysis. In examining a child, metabolic and genetic screening with the help of a highly powered microscope is done. Other tests like developmental tests, neurological and behavioral tets are also done in diagnosing and monitoring the patient. (more…)

Epilepsy – A Common Neurological Disorder

neurosurgicalinstruments — Mon, 21 May 2007 05:43:33 +0000

EPILEPSY – Epilepsy is a general term that refers to a group of disorders causing electrical disturbances in the brain. Epilepsy is not a kind of mental illness as some might mistakenly think. It does not cause mental illness either. It does not indicate the intelligence level of the person and is not an intelligence indicator. Epilepsy is causes by several factors. In fact, anything that would disturb the normal activity pattern of the brain can cause or trigger an epileptic attack. Common causes of epilepsy include illness, brain damage or an abnormal brain development. However, more than half of epilepsy causes can not be determined and identified. Epilepsy can also be linked to other conditions. These conditions include the patients brain chemistry, heredity, environmental condition, other existing disorders and possible injuries like prenatal injury and head injury. (more…)

Neurology, Neurosurgery and Common Neurological Instruments

neurosurgicalinstruments — Mon, 21 May 2007 05:42:42 +0000

Neurology is a branch of medicine concerned with the treatment of diseases and disorders of the central, peripheral and autonomic nervous systems and the disorders of the neuromuscular junctions and muscles. Neurology involves the care of persons with brain and central nervous system disorders and diseases such as Alzheimers disease, headache, Parkinsons disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, neuromuscular diseases, stroke, neuropathy, brain and spinal cord tumors, myasthenia gravis, muscular dystrophy and other movement disorders. The physician who specializes in Neurology is called a neurologist. Neurologists are not just brain surgeons. A neurologist is specially medically trained specialist to diagnose and treat disorders of the brain and its sructural or microscopically analyzed chemical imbalances, the nerves and the spinal cord, and patients with abnormal neurological symptoms. The role of the neurosurgeon encompasses the operative to the non-operative management of the disorders related to the nervous system. It is concerned and involved even in the prevention, evaluation, treatment, care and rehabilitation of the patients. (more…)