Treatment of radiation-induced brain injury

The human brain is the most important organ of the human body. There are many nerves connected to the brain. If the nerves in the brain are damaged, certain parts of the body will lose control of the brain and become defective. Some people suffer brain damage, which has a very serious impact on the brain. People who are frequently exposed to radioactive materials will suffer from radiation brain damage. Let’s learn about the treatment of radiation-induced brain injury.

"The current treatment strategy for radiation-induced brain injury is to diagnose as early as possible, delay radiotherapy, and rationally apply surgical treatment, that is, to take surgical treatment as early as possible when conservative treatment is ineffective."

1. Conventional treatment

Conventional treatment mostly uses corticosteroids, free radical scavengers, heparin, warfarin, mannitol, supplemented by neurotrophic drugs, large doses of vitamins and symptomatic treatment drugs such as blood circulation and blood stasis. If conservative treatment with the above-mentioned drugs fails to improve symptoms or signs, surgical treatment should be considered as soon as possible.

Glucocorticoids Glucocorticoids are the most important therapeutic drugs for radiation-induced brain injury. They can inhibit allergic reactions, improve the blood-brain barrier and maintain its complete function, improve the permeability of cerebral blood vessels, and have a stabilizing effect on cell membranes and lysosomes. It can alleviate neurological symptoms and reduce cerebral edema in the acute phase.

Free radical scavenger Edaravone is a new type of free radical scavenger. At present, experimental studies at home and abroad have shown that it has the effect of reducing cerebral edema, protecting ischemic neurons, and promoting the recovery of neurological function to varying degrees.

⑴ Heparin

Anticoagulants can prevent and reverse small blood vessel endothelial damage and improve microcirculation.

⑵Dehydrating agent

It is suitable for patients with signs of intracranial hypertension, and is generally treated with 20% mannitol or furosemide. Especially for patients with acute radiation encephalopathy, the timely use of large amounts of dehydrating agents is very critical. If necessary, albumin and glucocorticoids (such as dexamethasone) can be added to enhance dehydration.

⑶ Neurotrophic drugs and brain cell activators

⑷ Gangliosides

Early application can reduce primary and secondary brain tissue damage, alleviate cerebral edema, reduce tissue cell necrosis around the lesion, have a significant neuroprotective effect, and promote neuronal repair and recovery of neurological function.

⑸ Vasodilator drugs

Treatment with the Chinese herbal compound Danshen and Buyang Huanwu Decoction can reduce delayed neuronal damage after cerebral ischemia and reduce neuronal edema in the hippocampus. The effective rate is significantly higher than that without using Chinese herbal medicine for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis.

⑹Vascular endothelial growth factor antibody

Bevacizumab may play an important role in the treatment of radiation-induced cerebral edema by inhibiting the biological activity of human vascular endothelial growth factor.

2. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Hyperbaric oxygen can improve the oxygenation capacity of tissues, promote angiogenesis, improve the perfusion of capillary beds, promote the regeneration of nerve axons and dendrites, and improve brain tissue metabolism to restore its function.

3. Surgical treatment

For severe intracranial hypertension caused by radiation-induced brain injury, if the patient's physical condition permits, local resection of the radiation-induced brain injury lesion and internal decompression can be performed.