What Are The Signs Of Brain Herniation?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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  • High blood pressure.
  • Irregular or slow pulse.
  • Severe headache.
  • Weakness.
  • Cardiac arrest (no pulse)
  • Loss of consciousness, coma.
  • Loss of all brainstem reflexes (blinking, gagging, and pupils reacting to light)
  • Respiratory arrest (no breathing)

Can you survive a brain herniation?

The outlook varies, depending on where in the brain the herniation occurs.

Without treatment, death is likely

. There can be damage to parts of the brain that control breathing and blood flow. This can rapidly lead to death or brain death.

Which brain herniation is the most life threatening?


Central herniation

Downward herniation can stretch branches of the basilar artery (pontine arteries), causing them to tear and bleed, known as a Duret hemorrhage. The result is usually fatal.

What is the most common type of brain herniation?


Subfalcine hernia, also known as midline shift or cingulate hernia

, is the most common type of cerebral hernia. It is generally caused by unilateral frontal, parietal, or temporal lobe disease that creates a mass effect with medial direction, pushing the ipsilateral cingulate gyrus down and under the falx cerebri.

What are the types of brain herniation?

  • Subfalcine herniation.
  • Transalar (transsphenoidal) herniation.
  • Transtentorial uncal herniation.
  • Central (trans-tentorial) herniation (descending and ascending)
  • Cerebellar tonsillar herniation.
  • Transcalvarial herniation.

How do you fix a brain herniation?

To help reverse or prevent a brain herniation, the medical team will treat increased swelling and pressure in the brain. Treatment may involve:

Placing a drain into the brain to help remove cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Medicines

to reduce swelling, especially if there is a brain tumor.

What is herniation syndrome?

Overview. A brain herniation, or cerebral herniation, occurs

when brain tissue, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid

(CSF) shifts from their normal position inside the skull. The condition is usually caused by swelling from a head injury, stroke, bleeding, or brain tumor.

What causes Tentorial herniation?

Upward transtentorial herniation can occur when an infratentorial mass (eg, tumor in the posterior fossa, cerebellar hemorrhage)

compresses the brain stem

, kinking it and causing patchy brain stem ischemia. The posterior 3rd ventricle becomes compressed.

What does Subfalcine herniation mean?

Subfalcine herniation is

the most common form of intracranial herniation

and occurs when brain tissue is displaced under the falx cerebri. The cingulate gyrus is herniated under the falx, and if progression occurs, other areas of the frontal lobe are involved.

What is tonsillar herniation of the brain?

Tonsillar herniation is

the movement of brain tissue from one intracranial compartment to another

, specifically the movement of the cerebellar tonsils through the foramen magnum. This is a life-threatening and time-critical pathology that may be reversible with emergent surgical intervention and medical management.

Can your brain collapse?

Scientists believe that a number which is known as Graham’s Number is so long that if you try to remember then your brain

may collapse

and the same can lead to a formation of a black hole in the brain.

What is a brain compression?

Compression of the brain is a

condition in which something increases the amount of pressure pushing on the brain

, which can damage brain tissue.

What should brain pressure?

For the purpose of this article, normal adult ICP is defined as

5 to 15 mm Hg (7.5–20 cm H

2

O)

. ICP values of 20 to 30 mm Hg represent mild intracranial hypertension; however, when a temporal mass lesion is present, herniation can occur with ICP values less than 20 mm Hg [5].

What is fluid on the brain?

However, the brain is not surrounded by water but by a fluid called

cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

. CSF has 3 important functions: it protects the brain from damage.

What is Cushings reflex?

The Cushing reflex (vasopressor response, Cushing reaction, Cushing effect, and Cushing phenomenon) is

a physiological nervous system response to acute elevations of intracranial pressure (ICP)

, resulting in Cushing’s triad of widened pulse pressure (increasing systolic, decreasing diastolic), bradycardia, and …

What causes Cushings Triad?

This is most commonly caused by a

head injury

, bleeding in the brain (i.e. hematoma or hemorrhage), tumor, infection, stroke, excess cerebrospinal fluid, or swelling of the brain. Increased ICP activates the Cushing reflex, a nervous system response resulting in Cushing’s triad.

Maria Kunar
Author
Maria Kunar
Maria is a cultural enthusiast and expert on holiday traditions. With a focus on the cultural significance of celebrations, Maria has written several blogs on the history of holidays and has been featured in various cultural publications. Maria's knowledge of traditions will help you appreciate the meaning behind celebrations.