Brain edema and nervous system injury due to cerebral hemorrhage / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Functional deterioration of the nerves following cerebral hemorrhage is associated with cerebral hemorrhage-induced brain edema and involves multiple pathways of nerve injuries, now recognized as a complex pathophysiological process involving the interactions between multiple factors. Elucidation of the mechanisms of nervous system injury after cerebral hemorrhage may provide theoretical basis for implementing effective rehabilitative interventions for cerebral hemorrhage.DATA SOURCES: A computer-based search in the Medline database for related articles published between January 1991 and December 2003 was conducted using the combinations of the searching words of "emorrhagic stroke, cerebral hemorrhage, brain edema, and nervous system injury", with the language of the articles limited to English. A search in Wanfang database was also conducted using the key words of "cerebral hemorrhage, brain edema, nervous system injury" (in Chinese) for related Chinese articles published between January 2004 and January 2005.STUDY SELECTION: Total 85 original articles were selected after elimination of the irrelevant ones. Inclusion criteria: reports of animal experiments and clinical trials on cerebral hemorrhage following brain edema and mechanisms of nervous system injury were selected, particularly those focusing on brain edema after cerebral hemorrhage.DATA EXTRACTION: Of the 85 articles, 22 were found closely related to the subject concerned and 18 were indirectly relevant. Nine were excluded for duplicated reports, so that 31 articles were finally selected for analysis.DATA SYNTHESIS: Analysis of the literature suggested that secondary edema around the hematoma and nervous system injury were important indicators for poor prognosis of patients with cerebral hemorrhage. Multiple factors participated in the process of secondary brain edema and nerve injuries,such as the hydrostatic pressure during formation of the hematoma and clot retraction, activation of blood coagulation cascade, generation of thrombin,erythrocytolysis and the toxicity of hemoglobin, the activation of the complement system, space-occupying effects, rupture of the blood-brain barrier,secondary ischemia around the hematoma, inflammatory reaction of the neurons around hematoma and cell apoptosis.CONCLUSION: Effective protective interventions for brain edema after cerebral hemorrhage and complex pathophysiological changes may attenuate nervous system injuries following cerebral hemorrhage and improve the prognosis of functional recovery.