Transcript Slide 2

BRAIN DAMAGE
Presentation by
Dr Adelbert Scholtz
(counselling psychologist &
retired pastor)
BRAIN DAMAGE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The Human
Brain
Causes of Brain
Damage
Results of Brain
Damage
Rehabilitation
Prevention
1. THE HUMAN BRAIN
Protected by the skull
Lateral view of the right cerebral hemisphere of the human brain,
shown inside the skull. A number of convolutions (called gyri) and
fissures (called sulci) in the surface define four lobes—the parietal,
frontal, temporal, and occipital—that contain major functional areas
of the brain
The human skull
Inside the skull
The human skull
The brain fits snugly inside the skull
The human brain

Weighs less than 2 kg
 Uses + 20% of the oxygen in the body
 The most complex system in the whole universe
 There are more
neurons in your head
than stars in the Milky
Way
The human brain

You cannot live without a healthy brain
 The most precious organ in your body
The human brain
Ps 8:4-6 –
“What is man, that you
think of him? The son of
man, that you care for
him? For you have made
him a little lower than the
angels, and crowned him
with glory and honor.
You make him ruler over
the works of your hands.
You have put all things
under his feet.”
The vulnerable brain

Because the brain is so complex it is also very
vulnerable
 Damaged body parts (bones, skin &tc) can repair
themselves when broken or damaged
 Damaged or dead neurons can usually not be
repaired or replaced
2. CAUSES OF BRAIN DAMAGE

Genetic factors
 Developmental factors
 Malnutrition
 Illness
 Injuries & accidents
 Drug & alcohol abuse
 Poisoning
 Tumours
 Strokes
 Dementia
Genetic factors
The following brain disorders may be caused by
heriditary factors:
 Hydrocephalus
 Autism
 ADHD
 Tourette’s syndrome
Developmental factors
A child’s brain may be damaged during the delivery
process and afterwards, resulting in –
 Cerebral paralysis
 Retardation &tc
Malnutrition

The brains of children who are malnourished
cannot develop optimally
 Result: intellectual disability or retardation
Illness
Meningitis –
 An inflammation in the “skin” of the brain between
the skull and the brain;
 Caused by bacteria or a virus
 May damage neurons
Injuries & Accidents

Knocks against the head may cause the brain
to crash against the skull
 Bleeding may occur
 Neurons may be damaged
Injuries & Accidents
Skull fracture may cause –
 Bleeding inside the skull
 Serious injury to the brain itself
Drug & alcohol abuse
Irreversible brain damage is inevitable due to these
poisons
The brain of a tik user
Drug & alcohol abuse
Irreversible brain damage is inevitable due to
poisoning
The brain of an alcoholic
Drug & alcohol abuse



Pregnant women who
drink or abuse drugs
are guilty of a
horrendous crime –
they destroy their
babies’ brains
The baby is born as
an alcoholic or a drug
addict
These children are
uneducatable
Drug & alcohol abuse
Fetal alcohol syndrome
Tumours

Tumours destroy brain material
 The loss is irreversible
Tumours

Tumours are classified between 1 and 4:
1 = benign

4 = extremely malignant (cancerous)
Patients with type 4 usually die after a few months,
with or without an operation, chemotherapy or
radiation therapy
Stroke
Also called a “cerebro-vascular accident”
 Caused by –

– Either a blockage in an artery (thrombosis), depriving a
part of the brain of blood and oxygen;
– Or leakage of blood
from an artery, causing
pressure inside the skull
and killing off large
numbers of neurons
Stroke

Areas of the brain affected may never recover
 The loss is permanent
Dementia
Alzheimer’s disease, motor neuron disease and other
dementias amount to a degeneration of the nervous
system
 Main symptom: memory loss

3. RESULTS OF BRAIN DAMAGE
Paralysis – partial or total
 Loss of consciousness
 Loss of speech
 Loss of sense organs
 Intellectual impairment
 Memory loss
 Personality change
 Death

Paralysis
Damage to the motor regions of the brain due to a
stroke or a bad knock during an accident may
cause partial or total paralysis
Loss of consciousness

Victims of serious cases of stroke, injuries &
tumours may loose consciousness
 Many patients in a coma have to be kept alive by
machines
Loss of speech

The speech centres of the brain may be damaged
 The patient may be unable to speak or to
understand speech by others
Loss of sense organs

The victim/patient may loose eyesight, hearing,
smell or other sensory sensations – depending on
the site of the injury/tumour/damage
Intellectual impairment
The ability to reason, calculate, judge or make
decisions may be seriously affected – depending
on the site in the brain affected
Memory loss

Patients/victims may loose their memories, their
sense of identity and sense of orientation
 Inability to learn anything new
 In stroke or dementia patients, often only the shortterm memory is
affected
 These patients/victims
need constant care
Personality change

Damage to the brain
usually leads to a change
of personality
 Patients/victims may
become depressed,
euphoric, irresponsible,
easily angered,
uninterested in their
appearance, unable to
manage their own affairs,
asocial and may revert to
infantile behaviour
Death
People may die due to –
 Cerebral hemorrhage
(stroke)
 Overdose of drugs &
alcohol
 Poisoning
 Serious brain
damage after an
accident
 Too much pressure
inside the skull due to
a tumour or bleeding
Death

Death is inevitable
 How do you choose to die?
 Conclusion: protect and nurture your brain as far
as possble!
4. REHABILITATION

Special education
 Occupational therapy
 Physiotherapy
Rehabilitation

No two cases of brain
damage are the same
 A personal programme
has to be devised for
each victim/patient
Special education

The brains of young children are more adaptable
 Some of the damage may be managed by special
education & care
 Separate institutions for cases of cerebral paralysis,
brain injury, autistic children and ADHD cases
Occupational therapy
Children and adults with brain damage may be
taught new skills
Physiotherapy
Stroke victims, cases of
brain injury & others
may benefit from
physiotherapy and
special exercise
programmes to regain
some mobility
5. PREVENTION

Avoid accidents and injuries
 Get early medical advice
 Exercise
 Healthy nutrition
 Spiritual balance
Avoid accidents and injuries

Drive your car defensively
 Avoid violent sports, such as boxing, soccer or
rugby
Get early medical advice
Go to your medical practitioner if you have –
 High blood pressure
 Constant headaches
 Dizzy spells
 Double vision
Exercise
Exercise –
 Helps to keep your brain oxygenated
 Releases stress
 Keeps high blood
pressure in check
Healthy nutrition
Your brain needs –
 Omega-3 fatty acids
 Magnesium & calcium
 Zinc
 Vitamin B complex
 Vitamin C & E
They help to keep your
arteries clean from
cholesterol and
homocysteine
Healthy nutrition
Your brain needs –
 Fresh fruit
 Fresh veggies
 Fish
 Nuts
 Lots of clean water
Only eat stuff that occurs
in nature (not chocolate
bars, ice cream or
cookies)
Healthy nutrition
Avoid –
 Food fried in fat or oil
 Sugar & refined
carbohydrates
 Alcohol & drugs
They mess with
your brain
chemicals
Healthy nutrition

Keep your weight down
 Obesity improves the risk of strokes & heart
attacks
Spiritual balance
1 Tim 4: 7 & 8 “But refuse profane and old
wives` fables. Exercise yourself toward
godliness. For bodily exercise has some value,
but godliness has value for all things, having the
promise of the life which is now, and of that
which is to come.”
Any questions?
 Remember,
I
don’t know
everything
 Please have
mercy upon me
 But I will try
Remember!

Your donation (the hall, refreshments &
administration have to be paid for)*
 To complete a membership form (it’s free to join)
 To tell your friends
about our support group
*[Unfortunately, we don’t
have credit card facilities]
Good night, sleep tight!