Brain

Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine
by George M. Gould, M.D., Walter L. Pyle, M.D.
Koser is accredited with reporting results of a postmortem held on a young man of twenty who suffered from a cerebral tumor of considerable duration. It was stated that, although there was a cavity in the brain at least five inches in length, the patient

Thiamine Deficiency and Alcoholic Brain Disease
by National Institute of Health
A deficiency in the essential nutrient thiamine resulting from chronic alcohol consumption is one factor underlying alcohol-induced brain damage. Thiamine is a helper molecule (a cofactor) required by three enzymes involved in two pathways of carbohydrate

Effects of Alcohol Dependence on the Brain: Positron Emission Tomography
by National Institute of Health
To study alcohol's effects on the structure and function of the brain in living human beings, researchers can use various imaging techniques. Positron emission tomography (PET) is a functional imaging approach used to study the metabolism and physiology

Sensitivity to Alcohol-Induced Brain Damage
by National Institute of Health
Women are more vulnerable than men to many of the medical consequences of alcohol use. Although research has shown that male alcoholics generally have smaller brain volumes than nonalcoholic males, the few studies that have compared brain structure

Brain Damage in Alcoholics: Magnetic Resonance and Diffusion Tensor Imaging
by National Institute of Health
Brain imaging using conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has revealed that several brain structures in people with a history of chronic alcohol dependence are smaller in volume than the same brain structures in nonalcoholic control subjects.

Alzheimer's Disease : Inside the Human Brain
by National Institute on Aging
The brain is a remarkable organ. Seemingly without any effort, it allows us to carry out every element of our daily lives. It manages many of the body functions that happen without our knowledge or direction, such as breathing, blood circulation

Hepatic Encephalopathy: Complication of Alcoholic Liver Disease
by National Institute of Health
Alcohol's harmful effects on liver cells not only interfere not only with the normal functioning of the liver but also impact distant organs, including the brain. Prolonged liver dysfunction resulting from excessive alcohol consumption can lead

How to Think About the Brain
The Dana Guide to Brain Health
by Floyd E. Bloom, M.D., M. Flint Beal, M.D., David J. Kupfer, M.D., The Dana Foundation
Since a human brain weighs on average some three pounds, it is easy to hold one in your hands. This simple fact somehow makes it even harder to imagine how such a small mass of tissue can be the source of all that we think of as human.

Alcoholism and the Brain
by National Institute of Health
Alcoholism can affect the brain and behavior in a variety of ways, and multiple factors can influence these effects. A person's susceptibility to alcoholism-related brain damage may be associated with his or her age, gender, drinking history

Understanding Hepatic Encephalopathy
by National Institute of Health
Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a brain disorder caused by chronic liver failure, particularly in alcoholics with cirrhosis, which results in cognitive, psychiatric, and motor impairments. In these patients, the number of functional liver cells is reduced

Alcohol and the Developing Brain
by National Institute of Health
One of the distinguishing features of prenatal alcohol exposure is impaired cognitive and behavioral function resulting from damage to the central nervous system. Information available from the small number of autopsied cases in humans indicates

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Causes and Symptoms
by CDC
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is caused by a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain. Not all blows or jolts to the head result in a TBI.