Cortical Atrophy: Symptoms, Causes And Associated Disorders
There are a large number of conditions and pathologies that can cause the degeneration and death of the neurons that make up the different brain structures. When this degeneration affects the cerebral cortex It is known as cortical atrophy
Throughout this article we will review the main characteristics of cortical atrophy. In the same way we will review the causes and diseases that cause it, its symptoms and what brain structures are involved.
Cortical atrophy refers to the process of gradual degeneration or degradation of the cerebral cortex whose origin is found in the decrease or decrease in the neuronal population that makes it up.
The concept atrophy has its origins in Latin and its translation refers to a lack of nutrition. In the same way, the etymological basis of the word cortical also comes from Latin and is used to refer to everything related to the cerebral cortex.
If we take into account the origins of both concepts, it is easier to deduce that cortical atrophy consists of the gradual destruction of the neuronal cells that make up the upper areas of the brain specifically those structures found in the cerebral cortex, due largely to a decrease or loss of the administration of oxygen and nutrients to these areas.
What are the causes?
Due to the large number of conditions that can cause degeneration of higher brain structures, cortical atrophy is one of the most researched types of conditions. These causes include a wide variety of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, whose main effect is the destruction of neurons and, as a consequence, the loss of brain mass.
However, there are other causes or risk factors that can favor the development of cortical atrophy. Among them are the consumption of alcohol in large doses, the toxicity of which causes neuronal death, as well as some infections such as HIV or lack of blood flow due to cerebrovascular or ischemic strokes.
What symptoms does it present?
Cortical atrophy, like the diseases that cause it, is characterized by causing a large number of cognitive symptoms in the person who suffers from it. These changes and alterations in cognitive functions are due to the fact that they are managed by these specialized brain areas.
Cognitive functions refer to all those brain activities and processes that make it possible for people to receive, select, collect, save, transform, process and rescue all the information that reaches us from the environment that does not involve it. Thanks to them, we are able to understand our environment and interact with it.
Taking into account that neuronal degeneration involves a series of alterations in these functions, its main symptoms include:
However, this symptomatology can vary depending on the neurodegenerative disease that causes it; Both the intensity and the number of symptoms typical of each clinical condition can vary.
What brain regions does it affect?
As has already been mentioned throughout the article, cortical atrophy consists of the degeneration of neurons in the cerebral cortex. Therefore, it will exert its effects on all the structures found therein.
These structures are divided into the different large areas that make up the brain lobes They are the following.
Located in the anterior area of the brain, the lobe is the most recent of the cerebral lobes at a phylogenetic level. This means that it is only found in vertebrate species and especially more developed in complex species such as hominids.
Among its main functions are those of develop and control behavior, as well as linguistic production and abstract thinking Therefore, all those neurodegenerative diseases that affect this area can seriously compromise the correct functioning of these brain tasks.
2. Parietal lobe
The parietal lobes are located in the upper area of the skull. Neuronal atrophy in this region causes serious alterations in the ability to integrate sensory information as well as to understand it and give it meaning.
3. Occipital lobe
This third lobe is located in the posterior area of the brain. In addition, it is the main person in charge of receiving and transmitting the visual information that comes from the rest of the visual structures.
4. Temporal lobe
Finally, the temporal lobe is located in the lower area of the brain. Any type of injury or atrophy in this region usually causes the most characteristic symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases, since they are all those related to memory and thought processes
What diseases is it related to?
Although there are many other causes, such as alcoholism or ischemic accidents, that can cause the degeneration and destruction of neurons in the cerebral cortex; The main causes of this atrophy are neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Pick’s disease or Lewy body dementia.
1. Alzheimer’s disease
Senile dementia of the Alzheimer type consists of a neurodegenerative condition in which the person experiences an alteration of memory processes as well as other mental abilities, which are manifested through cognitive and behavioral symptoms.
Pick’s disease is a rare Alzheimer’s-like dementia caused by a buildup of Pick bodies in brain neurons. The main symptoms are related to behavioral alterations such as compulsive and repetitive behaviors, or emotional alterations such as sudden changes in mood and a loss in the expression of emotions
3. Lewy body dementia
This last type of neurodegenerative disease shares a large number of symptoms with other conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. However, despite presenting motor, behavioral and memory symptoms typical of these dementias, in Lewy body dementia the patient experiences a fluctuation in the intensity of the symptoms. accompanied by highly realistic visual hallucinations
You may be interested: “Dementia with Lewy bodies: symptoms, causes and relationship with Alzheimer’s”
Differences with posterior cortical atrophy
Unlike cortical atrophy referred to throughout the article, posterior cortical atrophy has a much earlier age of onset the first symptoms may appear between 50 and 60 years of age.
Furthermore, this neurodegenerative condition It is distinguished by presenting especially visual symptoms These symptoms include an alteration in the ability to understand the environment around the person, as well as problems when perceiving precise and specific objects that are in the patient’s visual field. For example, the person is completely unable to see or find the keys that are in front of him.
With the development of posterior cortical atrophy, the person begins to experience the behavioral and cognitive symptoms typical of the rest of the atrophies, but with the added disadvantage that they suffer them at much younger ages.
