A disorder or disease of the brain.
An imprecise term referring to any disorder of brain function (metabolic, toxic, neoplastic) but often implying a chronic degenerative process.
Disease of the encephalus. Dysfunction of the brain associated with advanced liver disease due to excess ammonia and accumulation of nitrogenous waste product and characterized by loss of consciousness.
Cerebral dysfunction due to an insult to the brain such as a toxin, injury, inflammation, or anoxic event.
Any disorder of the brain that involves widespread dysfunction of brain activity. Encephalopathy is characterized by neurological symptoms, such as personality changes, behavior changes, and changes in consciousness. Signs include agitation, confusion, delirium, hallucinations, insomnia, nervousness, palpitations, unsteady gait, and abnormal eye movements. Symptoms may progress to unconsciousness and coma. Causes of encephalopathy include metabolic abnormalities, such as liver or kidney dysfunction, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (a brain disorder), lack of oxygen, toxins associated with metabolic abnormality, and diffuse brain damage. If the skin is jaundiced, liver disease may be responsible. Diagnosis usually requires tests, and hospitalization is usually required. Treatment of encephalopathy usually depends on the underlying cause.
The term covering certain conditions in which there are signs of cerebral irritation without any localized lesion to account for them. Examples are hypertensive encephalopathy, spongiform encephalopathy, Wernicke’s encephalopathy and lead encephalopathy. In the first, which occurs in the later stages of chronic glomerulonephritis, or uraemia, the headache, convulsions and delirium which constitute the main symptoms are said to be due to a deficient blood supply to the brain.
Generalized brain dysfunction marked by varying degrees of impairment of speech, cognition, orientation, and arousal. In mild instances, brain dysfunction may be evident only during specialized neuropsychiatric testing; in severe instances (e.g., the last stages of hepatic encephalopathy), the patient may be unresponsive even to unpleasant stimuli.
A condition characterized by abnormalities, impairment, or dysfunction of the brain, often resulting from factors such as infection, liver damage, oxygen deprivation (anoxia), or kidney failure.
This refers to any condition that impacts the brain, particularly those that involve chronic degeneration.
Wernicke’s encephalopathy is a brain disorder, specifically a degenerative condition, which arises due to a deficiency in vitamin B1.
Hepatic encephalopathy results from the accumulation of toxins in the bloodstream due to liver failure, subsequently affecting the brain. This condition can lead to consciousness impairment, memory loss, personality alterations, tremors, and seizures.
Spongiform encephalopathy is a condition where the brain tissue contracts and develops spaces within, causing severe issues such as paralysis and dementia. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), a disorder that affects cattle, arises from their consumption of feed containing materials from sheep or cattle. The believed causative agent of BSE is an infectious entity known as a prion. Some instances of the variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease in humans are thought to be due to infection with the BSE-related prions, likely transmitted to humans through the ingestion of meat products.
An abnormal growth comprised of cartilage developing in a location where cartilage is not typically present, like the interior of a bone.