What drugs can cause brain lesions?

Substances that are associated with neurological damage include but are not limited to alcohol, heroin, amphetamines, marijuana, opioids, inhalants, and cocaine. Drugs can damage brain cells through several mechanisms.

Can drugs cause white matter lesions?

A wide range of commonly abused drugs has been observed to produce MRI white matter hyperintensity or DTI microstructural changes in association with acute or chronic exposure.

Can alcohol cause brain lesions?

One effect of chronic alcoholism is the damage that long-term heavy alcohol consumption does to the brain. Certain regions in the brains of alcoholics shrink, creating lesions that result in deficits in brain function.

What is lesions on the brain?

Definition. By Mayo Clinic Staff. A brain lesion is an abnormality seen on a brain-imaging test, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computerized tomography (CT). On CT or MRI scans, brain lesions appear as dark or light spots that don't look like normal brain tissue.

Can drugs cause demyelination?

Several drugs and medications can cause demyelination by a chemical-induced neurotoxicity mechanism or immune system deregulation. Toxic leukoencephalopathies are usually associated with diffuse white matter changes that can be transient or can cause permanent tissue destruction (Rimkus Cde et al., 2014).

Understanding the effects of drugs on the brain: A look at the damage and potential for treatment

What neurological disorder is caused by drugs?

Delirium can be a neurologic side effect of drugs, especially in (although not limited to) elderly patients. Delirium is characteristically acute in onset and precipitates fluctuations in cognition, mood, attention, and arousal. Delirium can be reversed when the underlying causative agent is identified and removed.

What toxins cause demyelination?

These include lead, cuprizone, lysolecithin, organotin, hexachlorophene and tellurium. Lead is a common environmental pollutant that causes hypomyelination and demyelination [1].

What is the most common cause of lesions in the brain?

What Causes Brain Lesions? Brain lesions can be caused by injury, infection, exposure to certain chemicals, problems with the immune system, and more. Typically, their cause is unknown.

What is the most common brain lesion?

Meningioma. Meningioma is the most common primary brain tumor, accounting for more than 30% of all brain tumors. Meningiomas originate in the meninges, the outer three layers of tissue that cover and protect the brain just under the skull. Women are diagnosed with meningiomas more often than men.

What do brain lesions on MRI mean?

Brain lesions seen on MRI may indicate any number of possible conditions. Here the brain lesion depicts tissue damage from an ischemic stroke — a state of severely reduced blood flow to the brain, which deprives brain cells of vital oxygen and nutrients.

Are lesions on the brain harmless?

Brain lesions are areas of abnormal tissue that have been damaged due to injury or disease, which can range from being relatively harmless to life-threatening.

What part of the brain is damaged by alcoholism?

The cerebellum, an area of the brain responsible for coordinating movement and perhaps even some forms of learning, appears to be particularly sensitive to the effects of thiamine deficiency and is the region most frequently damaged in association with chronic alcohol consumption.

How do you know if your brain is damaged by alcohol?

Short-term symptoms indicating reduced brain function include difficulty walking, blurred vision, slowed reaction time, and compromised memory. Heavy drinking and binge drinking can result in permanent damage to the brain and nervous system.

Can white matter lesions be nothing?

Some white matter lesions may not cause noticeable symptoms and can be considered almost “normal” with aging. However, some of these lesions can damage important pathways (highways) within your brain and can cause problems with memory, balance and walking.

Can stress cause white matter lesions?

White matter dynamically changes in response to learning, stress, and social experiences. Several lines of evidence have reported white matter dysfunction in psychiatric conditions, including depression, stress- and anxiety-related disorders.

How long can you live with white matter lesions?

It is not possible to stop disease progression, and it is typically fatal within 6 months to 4 years of symptom onset. People with the juvenile form of metachromatic leukodystrophy, which develops between the age of 4 and adolescence, may live for many years after diagnosis.

What do brain lesions feel like?

However, some symptoms often found in patients with different types of brain lesions include headaches (recurrent or constant), nausea, vomiting, decreased appetite, changes in mood, changes in personality, behavioral changes, cognitive decline, inability to concentrate, vision problems, hearing and balance problems, ...

Can stress cause brain lesions?

Psychological stress is linked to multiple sclerosis (MS) severity (e.g., to a heightened risk of brain lesion development). The exact mechanisms underlying this association are unknown.

Can you live a long life with a brain lesion?

Some brain tumours grow very slowly (low grade) and cannot be cured. Depending on your age at diagnosis, the tumour may eventually cause your death. Or you may live a full life and die from something else. It will depend on your tumour type, where it is in the brain, and how it responds to treatment.

What are the 3 types of lesions?

What virus causes demyelination?

In humans, the most prominent demyelinating diseases are progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, caused by JC papovirus destruction of oligodendrocytes, and subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, an invariably fatal childhood disease caused by persistent measles virus.

Can demyelination be anything other than MS?

Other causes

Other types of demyelinating disease and their causes include: Optic neuritis — inflammation of the optic nerve in one or both eyes. Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) — inflammation and demyelination of the central nervous system, especially of the optic nerve and spinal cord.

What is the most common demyelinating disease?

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

This is the most common demyelinating disorder. One in 500 people have it. It's an autoimmune condition that attacks your brain, spinal cord, and optic nerve.

What are the 2 major ways that drugs and diseases affect the nervous system?

What is the number 1 neurological disorder?

1. Headache. Headaches are one of the most common neurological disorders—and there are a variety of different kinds of headaches, such as migraines, cluster headaches, and tension headaches.