What causes cerebral arterial spasm and what are its symptoms?

Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are one of the main killers of middle-aged and elderly people and are also one of the current key research targets in medicine. So what is cerebral artery spasm in life?

1. Introduction

Cerebral angiospasm refers to the narrowing of the vascular lumen and the occurrence of blood flow vortex caused by sclerotic plaques in the internal cervical artery or vertebral-basilar artery system. When the vortex accelerates, it stimulates the blood vessel wall to cause vasospasm and transient cerebral ischemia. The symptoms disappear when the vortex decelerates. However, some scholars believe that due to the special structure of cerebral blood vessels, spasms are not easy to occur. However, most scholars believe that vasospasm can undoubtedly occur in the internal cervical artery and the cerebral arterial ring. Cerebral angiography can show spasm of large arteries; subarachnoid hemorrhage can cause widespread and focal cerebral vasospasm; when the large arteries of the brain are operated during brain surgery, the diameter of the artery can be significantly narrowed. Therefore, persistent high blood pressure, local damage or microparticle stimulation can also cause spasm of cerebral arteries and lead to transient cerebral ischemia.

2. Clinical manifestations

After a cerebral vasospasm occurs, clinical symptoms often include increased intracranial pressure (headache, vomiting, and fundus edema appearing or aggravating), and worsening of consciousness disorders. The patient changes from being awake to being drowsy or comatose; or from being comatose (early cerebral vasospasm usually recovers within 2 days) → awake → coma (another cerebral vasospasm). This dynamic change in consciousness is a prominent feature of cerebral vasospasm. At the same time, focal signs of varying degrees often appear or worsen, such as hemiplegia, hemisensory disturbance, aphasia, etc. The patient continues to have a fever, and the peripheral blood white blood cell count continues to increase. If the aggravation of the above symptoms is difficult to explain by rebleeding (such as lumbar puncture fails to confirm rebleeding) and intracranial hematoma, and vascular spasm is found by angiography, it can be confirmed as cerebral vasospasm.

3. Pathological causes

Emotional fluctuations, anger, psychological disorders, and stress are the most common causes of cerebral vasospasm. Most patients are students, especially high school students taking the college entrance examination. They are most likely to have cerebral vasospasm due to their stressful study life, insufficient sleep, and no chance to relax. Insomnia can also cause cerebral vasospasm. The incidence rate is relatively high in young women and those who do mental work.

4. Hazards of cerebral vasospasm

Simple cerebral vasospasm refers to the abnormal contraction of cerebral arteries over a period of time. It is a functional disease, which means that the disease is caused by various factors. There is no substantial damage or lesions in the cerebral blood vessels. Most patients are young people with better self-regulation ability, so the prognosis is good. Most patients can recover completely after treatment and relaxation. This disease will not cause paralysis and psychotic abnormalities.

However, if combined with intracranial aneurysm, cerebral arteriosclerosis, hypertension and other diseases, it is easy to cause cerebral hemorrhage. If not treated in time, paralysis or other nervous system symptoms may occur and even endanger life.