Acute Etiologies of Neurogenic Communication Disorders

Etiology

Underlying cause of a symptom or deficit that may be idiopathic.

think: stroke, TBI, tumors, infectious diseases

They play a role in communication, cognition, language, and behavior deficits.

Cerebrovascular Accident (stroke)

• can occur anywhere in the brainstem

• occurs when brian tissue is permanently destroyed or temporarily does not function due to decreased or absent blood supply to the brian tissue

Anoxia

Complete lack of oxygen to a cell

Hypoxia

Partial loss of oxygen to a cell

Iscemic Stroke:

Occurs when a blood vessel in the brain is obstructed

• core/infarct: area of tissue damage following a stroke

• penumbra: surrouning the core. damage can be reversed within 2-4 hours if medical attention is aquired surrounding

3 Ischemic Strokes

• thromitic/thrombosis

• embolic/embolism

• transient ischemic attack (TIA)

Thrombotic Stroke

Occurs when there is a build up of fatty deposits within the blood vessels that narrows or restricts blood flow

Embolic Stroke

Occurs when a mass (often a blood clot) lodges within a blood vessel in the brain, cutting off circulation to parts of the brain

Transient Ischemic Attact (TIA)

• Often known as a mini stroke

• Small ischemia and warning sign of bigger strokes coming

• No permanent damage unless they are reoccurring.

Hemorrhagic Stroke

Occurs when there is a blood vessel within the brian that ruptures, spilling of blood in the brain, and part of the brian is deprived of blood flow

Occurs within those who have hypertension, alcohol abuse, and do high levels of physical activity

Symptoms include: headache, nausea, vomiting

Hemorrhagic Stroke - aneurysm

Weakness of artery walls due to stretching or ballooning outward of the walls

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

• result of an external or forceful event

  • fall, MVA, assault, being struck by an object

• ranges from milk concussion, coma, death

• Language and cognitive deficits are varied based on what area of the brain was damaged and to what extent

Opioid Related Brain Injury

• Anoxic/hypoxic brain injury

  • severity is dependent on the length of oxygen deprivation

• Toxic brain injury

  • high levels of toxins in the body

  • commonly opioid abuse and C02 poisoning

Brain Tumors

• Neoplasm

  • abnormal cell growth that has no purpose to the body

  • takes up place in the skull and brian

Infection

• can damage the CNS or PNS

• viral, fungal, bacterial, parasitic

• impacts motor, cognition, and language

  • HIV/AIDS, Encephalitis, etc

Seizures

Sudden and periodic abnormal levels of electrical discharge occuring in the brain caused by stroke, TBI, surgical trauma, infections, or epilepsy