From the Guidelines
A central brain lesion refers to an abnormal area of tissue in the central nervous system, which can result from various causes such as histiocytic neoplasms, including Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) and Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), and can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. According to the Mayo Clinic Proceedings study published in 2019 1, CNS involvement occurs in approximately 40% of patients with ECD, with clinical and radiologic signs/symptoms occurring in as many as 90%. Some key characteristics of central brain lesions in histiocytic neoplasms include:
- White matter T2 hyperintensities, with and without postgadolinium enhancement, which are common in ECD and likely result from direct tumor infiltration, small vessel disease, or a neurodegenerative process 1
- T2 hyperintense, gadolinium-enhancing lesions most commonly of the pituitary stalk, pineal gland, and other circumventricular regions in LCH 1
- Symmetrical, T2 hyperintense signal changes and hypointense or hyperintense signals on T1 can also be seen in the cerebellar gray matter, pons, basal ganglia, and globus in LCH 1 These lesions can affect cognition, movement, sensation, behavior, and other neurological functions depending on which areas are involved, and can be detected through neuroimaging techniques like MRI or CT scans, as well as through functional assessments 1. Understanding these central brain lesions is crucial for diagnosing neurological conditions and developing appropriate treatment strategies that may include medications targeting specific neurotransmitter systems, rehabilitation therapies, or interventions to slow disease progression.
From the Research
Definition of Central Brain Lesion
There are no research papers provided to directly answer the question of what a central brain lesion is.
Related Information
However, some studies discuss brain structure and neurodegenerative diseases:
- A study published in 2022 2 discusses the complexity of the brain and its structure, and how abnormalities in brain structure are related to neuropsychiatric diseases.
- Another study from 2016 3 mentions central cholinergic dysfunction and its contribution to spatial memory deficits, but does not directly define a central brain lesion.
Neurodegenerative Diseases
Some studies provided discuss neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease:
- A 2015 study 4 examines the clinical effects of rivastigmine on Alzheimer's disease patients.
- A 2022 study 5 evaluates the efficacy and safety of donepezil for mild cognitive impairment.
- A 2005 study 6 investigates the symptomatic effect of donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine, and memantine on cognitive deficits in the APP23 model of Alzheimer's disease.
Note that these studies do not provide a direct definition of a central brain lesion.