The loss of tissue and neurons in the brain as a result of disease, injury, or old age is called cerebral or brain atrophy. Brain atrophy can be generalized, meaning that tissue is shrinking all over, or it can be focal, affecting only a limited area and impairing only the functions that that part of the brain controls.

Atrophy of the brain is not a medical diagnosis, but rather an anatomical description of what a doctor might see in an MRI or CAT scan. Accelerated brain atrophy is commonly associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia in the elderly. But all people show some degree of atrophy as they age, as the brain naturally shrinks in size and volume. Age-related atrophy takes place mainly in the frontal lobes, which are responsible for “executive functions” such as planning, controlling, and inhibiting thought and behavior. Atrophy in other areas of the brain can affect coordination, language skills, and intelligence. Decreased bloodflow to the brain is thought to cause most cases of atrophy.

Other diseases that can lead to earlier-or greater-than-normal cerebral atrophy include cerebral palsy, encephalitis, Huntington’s disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and infectious diseases such as AIDS. Many of these conditions are associated with memory impairment, seizures, and communication problems.

Mental and social forms of stimulation—such as doing puzzles, reading, and interacting with friends—are important parts of preventing brain atrophy. Regular physical activity and good nutrition also appear to help reduce or reverse the rate of brain atrophy in older adults with dementia. Research suggests that people with low levels of vitamin B12, which is found in meat, dairy, and eggs, may have more brain shrinkage than those with normal levels of the vitamin.

ADDITIONAL FACTS

  1. Research shows that brain atrophy can affect elderly people’s judgment and their ability to inhibit unwanted thoughts, sparking depression, gambling problems, socially inappropriate behavior, and unintentional prejudice and racism.
  2. Brain atrophy often involves aphasias, sensory disorders that take two forms. Receptive aphasia makes it difficult to “receive,” or understand the meaning, of words spoken by others. Expressive aphasia makes it difficult to express oneself in words, leading to symptoms like strange word choices, inability to think of a word or to name common objects, and incomplete phrases or sentences.