Head Injury

Injuries to the head and consequently to the brain is one of the leading causes of neurological deficits especially in the young. Much of this is preventable. A wealth of information and statistics is available at the various national organizations that focus on head, brain and spinal cord injury.

The Brain Injury Association of America has a detailed A-Z glossary and in depth description of the more common conditions along with links to other resources.

Treatment of severe head injury can at times be very intense with long periods in the hospital and rehabilitation centers. The following link clarifies the role of different specialists and details of what to expect during the course of treatment. www.biausa.org/treatmentandrehab.htm

Hydrocephalus

Hydrocephalus or water on the brain is a common condition among newborns and infants. The normal brain and spinal cord is bathed in Cerebro-spinal fluid or CSF. This is normally produced in the lateral ventricles of the brain and circulates through the Third and Fourth ventricles of the brain to reach the spinal cord. Finally it gets absorbed on the top surface of the brain (vertex) through the arachnoid granulations to reach the venous blood stream.

Hydrocephalus results when this pathway is obstructed due to tumor, hemorrhage or infection or when there is defective absorption at the level of the arachnoid granulations. A pictorial representation of this process is depicted here www.hydroassoc.org/education_support/learning/brain-physiology/

The Hydrocephalus Association has detailed information about the symptoms, signs, diagnosis and treatment of both childhood and adult hydrocephalus.

A brief description of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus and its treatment can be found at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/normal_pressure_hydrocephalus/normal_pressure_hydrocephalus.htm

Trigeminal Neuralgia

Trigeminal neuralgia is an extremely painful disorder affecting the face that causes sharp, electric shock like proxysms of pain in the distribution of the 3 branches of the trigeminal nerve . It is also known as Tic Dolerauex. It is a condition of unknown origin that has been known to the medical community for several hundred years. The TNA website has a detailed description and definition of the condition.

A variety of different treatments are available, each with its advantages and disadvantages. The following web page provides a lucid description. www.fpa-support.org/aboutfp/treatment.html

For a step by step animation of the procedure of Radiofrequency (RF) thermo coagulation visit the Mayfield Clinic website.

[to top]