The full life activity of a person largely depends on the health of the brain and nervous system. Therefore, diseases that affect these parts of the body make themselves felt through overt and sometimes severe symptoms. One of the groups of such diseases are neurological syndromes. They should pay attention, since their appearance indicates the development of quite dangerous intractable processes.
Neurological syndrome
To understand what is at stake, you need to figure out what the syndrome as such is. This definition is used to describe a combination of symptoms that have similar manifestations. Such a term allows you to make the diagnosis more accurate and easier. In other words, the term “syndrome” is used to describe a group of symptoms, rather than one specific one.
It should be understood that this terminology is not always suitable for describing the disease, since the latter can combine several syndromes. So for a competent determination of the patient’s condition often requires high qualification and experience.
Key groups
If you study the main neurological syndromes, you will notice that some of them are similar, and therefore are combined in certain categories. In fact, we are talking about the three most common groups:
- Vestibular syndrome. This refers to various disorders in the functioning of the brain. The symptoms in this case are quite bright, so it is extremely difficult to confuse it with other manifestations. As the main symptoms, you can determine shakiness and dizziness.
- Neurological syndrome associated with the musculoskeletal system. This includes various types of muscle weakness and paralysis. The most common cause of a problem such as paralysis is stroke, although polio can also lead to a similar condition.
- Pain syndrome. This group can be found among patients more often than others. Symptoms of this category are characterized by severe pain. As an example, it makes sense to cite neuralgia of the nerve, causing severe pain in the back and head.
- Increased intracranial pressure due to neuralgic disorders of various types.
Syndromes at an Early Age
Children, like adults, are vulnerable to various diseases. For this reason, doctors have to deal with various syndromes in the case of patients of a younger age group.
As for specific groups of symptoms, they look like this:
1. Convulsive syndrome. If a child develops convulsions, this may mean the fact of damage to the brain tissue with irritation of certain parts of the brain. Depending on the age, such a neurological syndrome can manifest itself through generalized seizures of the limbs, eyes, and facial muscles. It is also worth knowing that the seizures themselves can be clonic and tonic. This means that they capture the whole body or move from one part to another. This condition is sometimes accompanied by respiratory failure, stool and urine, or biting the tongue.
2. The impact of cerebrosthenic syndrome. The main reason for this condition is rapid neuropsychic exhaustion, which is the result of strong physical or psychological impulses. These can be illnesses, stresses, various loads and emotions. As a result, children have a violation of the ability to manipulate objects and play games. There is also a risk of emotional instability. By the end of the day, the symptoms may increase significantly.
3. The problem of hypertension-hydrocephalic syndrome. It appears due to increased intracranial pressure with subsequent expansion of the cerebrospinal fluid spaces of the skull due to the fact that an excessive amount of fluid accumulates in them. A similar group of symptoms can appear in the form of increased head growth, bulging fontanel and hydrocephalus.
4. Hyper-excitability syndrome. This problem makes itself felt through such manifestations as sleep disturbance, emotional instability and motor anxiety. After the examination, the doctor can record another decrease in the threshold of convulsive readiness, pathological movements and an increase in reflex excitability.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Symptoms and Treatment
The key symptom that indicates this disease is recurring or lasting longer than six months of constant fatigue. And we are talking about both physical exhaustion and mental.
Speaking of a relapsing form, the following fact is worth noting: it can be so amplified that it will clearly dominate the accompanying symptoms. The problem here lies in the fact that this syndrome cannot be neutralized with the help of rest, because of which the patient's activity significantly decreases in all areas of his life.
If we talk about the symptoms of CFS in more detail, then we need to distinguish the following manifestations:
- muscle pain;
- poor health after physical activity, which lasts around the clock;
- swollen painful lymph nodes, axillary and cervical especially;
- pain in the joints, not accompanied by signs of edema or inflammatory processes;
- violation of concentration of attention and memory;
- a sore throat;
- serious sleep disturbances;
- headache.
Chronic fatigue syndrome, symptoms and treatment of which are of interest to many patients, is a rather urgent problem, therefore, doctors have enough experience for competent diagnosis and prescribing rehabilitation measures. But in general, treatment boils down to the organization of good nutrition, normalization of the daily regimen, as well as the use of minerals and vitamins. Bad habits will also have to be abandoned, as well as a long pastime near the TV. Instead, it’s better to get used to evening walks in the fresh air.
Regarding the topic of complex treatment, it is worth highlighting the following components:
- normalization of the regime of loads and rest;
- holding fasting days and diet therapy;
- aromatherapy and massage;
- elimination of various chronic diseases that complicate the treatment process;
- the use of medications if other means cannot neutralize the neurological syndrome;
- physiotherapy exercises and water procedures.
Speaking about drugs, it is worth noting that with a similar problem, tranquilizers, sorbents, immunomodulators are relevant, and with allergies, antihistamines.
Features of radial neuropathy
This is another form of neurological syndrome that can be a source of serious problems. The essence of the destructive effect in this case is that due to damage or pinching of the radial nerve, quite noticeable symptoms appear in the region of the upper extremities. The good news is that such a problem does not lead to irreversible consequences. This means that all symptoms can be neutralized.
The reasons why radial neuropathy develops are quite simple. We are talking about cuts, fractures, bruises and other mechanical injuries, as a result of which there was compression of the radial nerve. Sometimes, during a trauma, the nerve itself is not hurt, but the subsequently formed scars put pressure on it, and for this reason, dysfunction occurs. The appearance of neuropathy of this type can also be triggered by chronic trauma of the nerve trunk, caused by its constant friction against the sharp edge of the tendon during prolonged loading of the hand. Excessive pressure of crutches and tourniquets can also lead to disruption of the nerve.
Symptoms of radial neuropathy are quite obvious: the fingers of the palm cannot be bent and unbent normally, any movements of the hand, and especially the fingers, become problematic. There is tension in the muscles that bend the hand, as the muscle fibers that extend the forearm stretch.
When these symptoms come to light, the first thing to do is to apply a longuet to the forearm and the area of the hand. To overcome this problem, mostly conservative methods are used: taking B vitamins, paraffin baths, electrical stimulation and massage. Surgery to restore radial nerve function is extremely rare. And of course, for a full recovery, you will have to go through an exercise therapy complex.
Progressive Sclerosing Polydystrophy
This problem has another name - Alpers syndrome. The essence of this disease is reduced to a deficiency of energy metabolism enzymes. Symptoms of polydystrophy appear at a very early age, as a rule, it is 1-2 years.
Initially, generalized or partial seizures appear , as well as myoclonia, which is quite resistant to anticonvulsant treatment. The problems do not end there. Further, a delay in physical and psychomotor development, muscle hypotension, increased tendon reflexes, spastic paresis, as well as loss of skills that were acquired earlier are manifested. Do not exclude the loss of hearing and vision, vomiting, lethargy, the development of hepatomegaly, jaundice and even liver failure, which, without timely competent treatment, can lead to death.
At the moment, a single system for the effective treatment of Alpers syndrome has not yet been developed, so doctors work in stages with each specific symptom. It is unnecessary to say that without the help of a physician with such violations of the brain, it is not possible to get a tangible improvement.
Shay's syndrome - Drager
Under this unfamiliar name hides a rather serious problem - multisystem atrophy. Such a diagnosis is made if the patient has a severe lesion of the autonomic nervous system. In fact, we are talking about a fairly rare disease that disrupts the cerebellum of the brain, and also causes vegetative disorders and parkinsonism.
Doctors cannot yet compile a full range of causes of multisystem atrophy. But they tend to believe that such a disruption of the cerebellum is rooted in the patient’s genetic heritage.
As for treatment, in order to effectively influence the patient's condition, you must first make sure that you have to deal with Shay-Drager syndrome, and not with other diseases that have similar symptoms (Parkinson's disease, etc.). The essence of treatment is to neutralize the symptoms. Doctors are not yet able to completely overcome such violations of the functions of the brain.
The danger of Bruns syndrome
This is another group of symptoms that is most directly related to neurological syndromes. The reason for this condition is the occlusion of cerebrospinal fluid paths at the level of the water supply system of the brain or the opening of Magendie.
If we consider Bruns syndrome through the prism of general symptoms, the picture will be as follows: respiratory and pulse disturbances, vomiting, dizziness, pain in the head, loss of consciousness, ataxia, disruptions in muscle coordination and tremor.
Attention should be paid to eye symptoms. This is transient amaurosis, strabismus, ptosis, diplopia, as well as a decrease in the sensitivity of the cornea. In some cases, swelling of the optic nerve and its subsequent atrophy are recorded.
As a topical treatment, degradation, ventriculopuncture, as well as various heart and tonic drugs (caffeine, Cordiamin, Korglikon) are used. Depending on the nature of the algorithm for the development of the disease, surgery may be indicated.
Wernicke Encephalopathy
This problem from the field of neurology is quite serious. It may also be called "Gaillie-Wernicke syndrome." In fact, we are talking about damage to the hypothalamus and midbrain. As a reason for this process, you can determine the lack of thiamine in the patient's body. It is worth noting that this syndrome can be the result of alcoholism, vitamin B1 deficiency and complete physical exhaustion.
The main symptoms include confusion, irritability, impaired coordination of movements, apathy and paralysis of the muscles of the eye. To get an accurate diagnosis, you need to contact a neurologist.
Doctors can neutralize the effect of the syndrome by administering thiamine to the patient for 5-6 days. Hypomagnesemia, if necessary, is corrected by the intake of magnesium oxide or sulfide.
Wright's syndrome
This term is used to define a combination of acroparesthesia with pain in the pectoralis minor muscle, as well as trophic disorders and blanching in the fingers and hand itself. Such sensations occur if compression of the nerve trunks of the brachial plexus and vessels of the axillary region occurs. Such processes are often the result of maximum abduction of the shoulder and tension of the pectoralis minor muscle, which, in turn, compresses the nerves and blood vessels.
Wright's syndrome is determined by symptoms such as a pale shade of the fingers and hands, their numbness and signs of swelling. But the key manifestation is pain in the pectoral muscle and shoulder. Often with a strong abduction of the shoulder in the radial artery, the pulse disappears.
They treat the syndrome only after they differentiate it from other similar diseases. When an accurate diagnosis is made, various physiological and therapeutic measures can be used. In some cases, the operation will be relevant.
What is worth knowing about Gerstmann syndrome?
The essence of this syndrome is reduced to the combined manifestation of digital agnosia, alexia, agraphia, autotagnosia, as well as a violation of the right-left orientation. In the case of the spread of the pathological process to other parts of the cerebral cortex, hemianopsia, sensory aphasia, and asterogiosia may be known.
Gerstman's syndrome is directly related to destructive processes in the associative region of the left parietal lobe of the brain. In this state, the patient partially ceases to recognize his own body. This is manifested in the inability to distinguish the right side from the left. People with such a syndrome cannot perform simple arithmetic operations and write, although otherwise their consciousness works fine.
The impact of alternating syndromes
This is a whole complex of destructive processes, which can have a significant negative effect on the body. Alternating Syndromes are a consequence of damage to the spinal cord and one half of the brain. These symptom groups are sometimes triggered by traumatic brain injuries or poor circulation in the spinal cord and brain.
Doctors periodically detect alternating syndromes of the following varieties: lesions mixed with different localization, bulbar, pedunculate and pontine. With such an abundance of species, the symptoms can be very different: deafness, oculomotor and pupil disorders, acute insufficiency of the control of the body, dysgenetic syndromes, obstructive hydrocephalus, etc.
Such conditions are diagnosed by determining the exact location of the lesion focus and its borders.
As for treatment, its organization largely depends on a specific group of symptoms and the results of professional diagnostics.
Summary
The problem of neurological syndromes worries many people, and, unfortunately, doctors are not always able to completely neutralize the impact of the disease. For this reason, it makes sense to periodically do prophylactic diagnostics of the state of the brain and nervous system in order to identify possible problems at the stage of their origin.