What does chronic ischemic demyelination mean?

A demyelinating disease is any condition that results in damage to the protective covering (myelin sheath) that surrounds nerve fibers in your brain, optic nerves and spinal cord. When the myelin sheath is damaged, nerve impulses slow or even stop, causing neurological problems.

What is chronic ischemic white matter disease?

Overview. Microvascular ischemic disease is a term that’s used to describe changes to the small blood vessels in the brain. Changes to these vessels can damage white matter — the brain tissue that contains nerve fibers and serves as the connection point to other parts of the brain.

What is demyelination of white matter?

Demyelination of cerebral white matter is thought to drive neuronal degeneration and permanent neurological disability in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, however, support the possibility that demyelination and neuronal degeneration can occur independently.

What causes white matter demyelination?

Causes of demyelination Inflammation is the most common cause of myelin damage. Other causes include: certain viral infections. metabolic problems.

What causes chronic ischemic demyelination?

Causes and Risk Factors. Demyelination is often caused by inflammation that attacks and destroys myelin. This can occur in response to an infection, or it can attack the body as part of an autoimmune process in which the immune system attacks healthy cells.

Can demyelination cause stroke?

Demyelination occurs in response to brain injury and is observed in many neurodegenerative diseases. Myelin is synthesized from oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system, and oligodendrocyte death‐induced demyelination is one of the mechanisms involved in white matter damage after stroke and neurodegeneration.

How long can you live with white matter disease?

In general, the prognosis is grave, with the majority of patients dying after a few years. However, some die only after several months, and some manage to survive for several decades [6].

How serious is white matter disease?

White matter disease is strongly linked to cardiovascular disease risk factors, and researchers believe that white matter disease is a biomarker (medical sign) of the lifelong risk of stroke, dementia and disability.

How serious is demyelination?

ADEM can also progress to cause symptoms such as vision problems, weakness, and issues with coordination and movement. When ADEM is severe, it can be life threatening, leading to seizures or coma.

Can you recover from demyelination?

Drugs that fight inflammation can stop the damage to the nerves in your brain and spinal cord. A doctor also can prescribe other medicine to ease some ADEM symptoms. Most people recover fully within 6 months, though in very rare cases, ADEM can be deadly.

What does chronic ischemic changes in the brain mean?

Cerebrovascular Diseases and Stroke Cerebral ischemia or brain ischemia, is a condition that occurs when there isn’t enough blood flow to the brain to meet metabolic demand. This leads to limited oxygen supply or cerebral hypoxia and leads to the death of brain tissue, cerebral infarction, or ischemic stroke.