Diffuse brain changes in a child

Diffuse changes in the brain that affect its bioelectric conductivity can be detected at any age. However, the causes that cause them may differ somewhat.

For example, diffuse changes in the brain of newborns are usually associated with processes occurring before the birth of the child or at the time of delivery. These may be intoxications (including alcohol abuse, smoking, drug addiction), infections, stress factors, radioactive radiation affecting the mother's body during the formation of the fetus's nervous system. The risk of giving birth to a child with brain pathologies also increases in those mothers who experienced strong changes in blood pressure and temperature during pregnancy, who had placental abruption with impaired nutrition and breathing of the fetus, had prolonged labor or umbilical cord entanglement.

Trauma to the fetus during pregnancy or childbirth is also considered a risk factor for the development of diffuse changes in the child's brain. The traumatic factor can affect the brain in subsequent periods of the baby's life. The nervous structures of the fetus are formed even before its birth (already in the 5th-6th month, the cerebral cortex acquires its characteristic convolutions), but the formation of the central nervous system continues until the age of 16-17, so concussions in childhood and adolescence have more serious consequences than in adulthood.

The same can be said about the infectious factor, which is most dangerous during critical periods of the development of the central nervous system, which occur in childhood. Nasopharyngeal infections in children quite often spread to the brain, causing inflammation of the meninges and brain matter, accompanied by tissue edema, as a result of which their bioelectric conductivity is disrupted. With prolonged exposure to infection, toxic damage to nerve cells (neurons that make up the brain parenchyma and are responsible for transmitting impulses) and their death occurs, which inevitably affects the further neuropsychic development of the child, causing various deviations in the process of forming higher mental functions.

In childhood, the child's brain is most sensitive to the impact of negative factors, both external and internal. Therefore, diseases that are quite safe for an adult can cause a disruption of brain activity in a child, especially if there is a hereditary factor (for example, some of the child's relatives suffer from cerebrovascular disorders).

Considering such a neurological disease as epilepsy, scientists came to the conclusion that in the absence of organic brain damage, the disease is most likely provoked by genetic factors transmitted by inheritance. In this case, diffuse or local changes in the brain, characteristic of acquired epilepsy, will not be detected, but there is an increased excitability of neurons in the brain (dysfunction of the BEA).

Acquired epilepsy, caused by congenital metabolic disorders, malformations of the brain, cranial trauma, hypoxia and its consequences in the form of ischemia of the brain tissue, is characterized by changes in the structure of the brain tissue, determined by ultrasound (neurosonography in early childhood) and tomography, as well as disturbances of the BEA on the encephalogram.

Diffuse changes in the brain in children can be both temporary and permanent. Inflammatory processes in the brain and its membranes can cause temporary changes in the structure and conductivity of the nervous tissue. But it is important to understand that the longer the tissue edema continues, the higher the risk of fibrous changes that will cause persistent conductivity disorders and a decrease in intelligence.

The risk of developing such complications in meningitis and encephalitis is higher at an early age. And not only because this is the period most sensitive to negative impacts. But also because a small child is not yet able to adequately assess his condition, talk about his well-being, say what is bothering him. A child who cannot speak or does not understand the meaning of the word pain cannot tell others that he has a headache, and parents can attribute repeated dizziness and falls to the baby's weak legs. The child begins to be capricious and cry, thus expressing his condition, but his "language" is not entirely understandable to adults.

For this reason, it is very important for parents to carefully monitor their baby's activity. If the child has become overly active or, on the contrary, has lost interest in games and the world around him, this is already a reason to consult a doctor. Frequent "causeless" tears are also an alarming signal, especially if the child was previously calm and not prone to whims.

It is clear that a baby can become excited by new toys or people, unfamiliar events, or new phenomena in the surrounding world, but this is a temporary phenomenon. The same can be said about some inhibition, which can be caused by a large flow of information, overfatigue, or a somatic disease. But if such a state persists in a baby for several days, it can hardly be called normal. Young children (up to three years) are characterized by high cognitive activity (they touch, sniff, knock, and examine everything), and its decrease is regarded as a pathological symptom.

At an older age, the main (leading) activity of the child is considered to be play. If a preschooler has lost interest in toys and games with adults and peers, this should definitely be paid attention to. Complaints about headaches in this situation should not be regarded as an attempt to refuse to fulfill the request or demand of an adult. It is quite possible that the child really has a headache due to the appearance of diffuse changes in the brain that affect his well-being, performance, physical and mental activity. [ 1 ]

In school age, suspicious symptoms may include poor academic performance (or a sharp decline in academic performance), increased fatigue, gradual loss of previously acquired skills and difficulties in developing new ones, speech disorders, movement disorders, and inappropriate behavior.

In adolescence, it is worth paying attention to frequent migraines, fluctuations in body temperature (they may indicate dysfunction of the midbrain structures), pathological desires (especially of a sexual nature), lack of basic modesty, inappropriate behavior. Such deviations during this period of a child's development can also be observed in healthy children, but their persistence should prompt reflection. It is better to play it safe than to harm the child with your carelessness, missing the opportunity to correct the defect.

But before diagnosing a child, it is necessary to understand that during the process of ontogenesis, age-related changes in the bioelectrical activity of the brain occur, which is also important to take into account during examination.