Cortical Atrophy: Symptoms, Causes, and Associated Disorders

There are a large number of conditions and pathologies that can cause the degeneration and death of the neurons that make up the different brain structures. When this degeneration affects the cerebral cortex is known as cortical atrophy.

Throughout this article we will review the main characteristics of cortical atrophy. In the same way we will review the causes and diseases that cause it, its symptoms and what brain structures are involved.

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What is cortical atrophy?

Cortical atrophy refers to the process of gradual degeneration or degradation of the cerebral cortex whose origin is found in the decrease or decrease of the neuronal population that makes it up

The concept atrophy has its origin in Latin and its translation refers to a lack of nutrition. In the same way, the etymological foundation of the word cortical also comes from Latin and is used to refer to everything related to the cerebral cortex.

If we take into account the origins of both concepts, it is easier to deduce that cortical atrophy consists of

the gradual destruction of neuronal cells that make up the upper parts of the brain, specifically those structures that are found in the cerebral cortex, due in large part to a decrease or loss of oxygen and nutrient delivery to these zones.

What are the causes?

Due to the large number of conditions that can cause degeneration of higher brain structures, cortical atrophy is one of the most researched types of conditions. These causes include a wide variety of neurodegenerative diseases., such as Alzheimer's disease, whose main effect is the destruction of neurons and, as a consequence, the loss of brain mass.

However, there are other causes or risk factors that may favor the development of cortical atrophy. Among them are the consumption of alcohol in large doses whose toxicity causes neuronal death, as well as some infections such as HIV or lack of blood supply due to cerebrovascular or ischemic accidents.

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What symptoms does it present?

Cortical atrophy, like the diseases that cause it, is characterized by causing a large number of cognitive symptoms in the person who suffers from it. These changes and alterations in cognitive functions are due to the fact that these are managed by these specialized brain areas.

Cognitive functions refer to all those brain activities and processes that make it possible for people to receive, select, collect, save, transform, elaborate and rescue all the information that comes to us from the medium that does not involve. Thanks to them, we are able to understand our environment and interact with it.

Taking into account that neuronal degeneration implies a series of alterations in these functions, the main symptoms of this include:

• Problems in memory processes.
• language disturbance.
• Loss of orientation ability.
• Alterations in attention and concentration processes.
• Executive function problems.
• When neurodegeneration affects the frontal lobe, it can cause behavioral and personality disorders.

However, this symptomatology may vary depending on the neurodegenerative disease that causes it; being able to vary both the intensity and the quantity of symptoms typical of each clinical picture.

What brain regions does it affect?

As already mentioned throughout the article, cortical atrophy consists of the degeneration of neurons in the cerebral cortex. Therefore, it will exert its effects on all the structures that are in it.

These structures are divided into the different large areas that make up the cerebral lobes. They are the following.

1. frontal lobe

Located in the anterior area of ​​the brain, the lobe is the most recent of the cerebral lobes at the phylogenetic level. This means that it is only found in vertebrate species and especially more developed in complex species such as hominids.

Among its main functions are those of develop and control behavior, as well as linguistic production and abstract thought. Therefore, all those neurodegenerative diseases that affect this area can seriously compromise the proper functioning of these brain tasks.

• Related article: "What is the frontal lobe and how does it work?"

2. parietal lobe

The parietal lobes They are located in the upper part of the skull. Neuronal atrophy in this region causes serious disturbances in the ability to integrate sensory informationas well as to understand it and give it meaning.

3. Occipital lobe

This third lobe is located in the posterior part of the brain. In addition, it is the main person in charge of receiving and transmitting the visual information that comes from the rest of the visual structures.

4. temporal lobe

Finally, the temporal lobe is located in the lower part of the brain. Any type of lesion or atrophy in this region usually causes the most characteristic symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases, since they are all those related to memory and thought processes.

What diseases is it related to?

Although there are many other causes, such as alcoholism or ischemic accidents, which can cause the degeneration and destruction of neurons in the cerebral cortex; The main causes of this atrophy are neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Pick's disease or Lewy body dementia.

1. Alzheimer disease

Senile dementia of the Alzheimer type consists of a condition of a neurodegenerative nature in which the person experience an alteration of memory processes, as well as other mental abilities, which are manifested through cognitive and behavioral symptoms.

• Related article: "Alzheimer's: causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention"

2. Pick's disease

Pick's disease is a rare dementia similar to Alzheimer's caused by an accumulation of Pick bodies in brain neurons. The main symptoms are related to behavioral disturbances such as compulsive and repetitive behaviors, or emotional disturbances such as sudden changes in mood and a loss in the expression of emotions.

3. Lewy body dementia

This latter type of neurodegenerative disease shares a large number of symptoms with other conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. However, despite presenting motor, behavioral and memory symptoms typical of these dementias, in Lewy body dementia the patient experiences a fluctuation in the intensity of symptoms accompanied by highly realistic visual hallucinations.

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Differences with posterior cortical atrophy

Unlike the cortical atrophy referred to throughout the article, posterior cortical atrophy has a much earlier age of onsetThe first symptoms may appear between the ages of 50 and 60.

Furthermore, this neurodegenerative condition It is distinguished by presenting especially visual symptoms. These symptoms include an alteration in the ability to understand the environment that surrounds the person, as well as such as problems when perceiving precise and specific objects that are in the visual field of the patient. For example, the person is completely unable to see or find the keys in front of him.

With the development of posterior cortical atrophy, the person begins to experience behavioral symptoms and cognitive disorders typical of other atrophies, but with the added drawback that they suffer from them at much older ages early.