Dr. Laura Schlagel, M.D.

Yes, especially if the fusion is completely bone and there is no hardware. Now, much of the hardware is MRI compatable, too.

Not if it is controlled with medication. Seizures that are very frequent, or prolonged (more than 1 or 2 minutes) can cause further damage around the site of the activity causing the seizure. Eventually frequent or prolonged seizures can cause a "mirror" site in the opposite side of the brain. This process is called kindling.

It should be improving by now. There is always the possibility of an infection (abcess) or hematoma after a spinal tap. These can be diagnosed with a lumbar MRI.

Depends on how much damage was done and how long it has been. Generally, if it is treated early by a specialized hand surgeon, they can put a lot back together. Other wise, if there is pain, there are many good medications for that, most of which are anti-seizure medications. They do the same thing in the brain and in the finger, and that is to keep irritated or damaged nerves from firing off when they shouldn’t. Narcotics are generally not effective because nerve pain is too intense to be covered up and narcotics do nothing to stop the damaged nerves from firing. For functional use in the finger, again seeing a specialized orthopedic hand surgeon for an opinion on whether there is any surgical procedures that would help the function, and also occupational therapists are amazing with techniques and tools that can bring back function.

The biggest difference in safety is that CTs use radiation and MRIs only expose you to a magnetic field. Radiation is cumulative, magnetism is not. There are recommended limits on lifetime cumulative amounts of radiation that a person can be exposed to before they start to have problems. Because cumulative radiation can eventually cause cancer, yes, MRIs are less risk.

All of the autoimmune diseases cause fatigue. The immune system takes massive amounts of energy to function. Think about when you have had a cold or the flu. One of the most prominent symptoms is usually exhaustion. It’s hard to even get out of bed, right? With an autoimmune disease like MS, the body thinks that the immune system has to constantly be fighting off an infection, so uses a lot of energy all the time. Interestingly, when an MS patient tries a new, stronger med,the immediate effect they get is an increase in energy because the med has calmed the autoimmune activity.

No, it is not at this time. There are very effective medications to keep the disease from progressing. Recommend that he see a neurologist that is specifically trained in MS, Many general neurologists are either not familiar with or not comfortable prescribing the more potent medications.

No, seizures are not usually a part of Parkinson's disease. Seizures come from the outside layers of the brain (the cortex), and Parkinson's disease damages structures deep in the brain. Altzheimer's disease however, is very commonly associated with Parkinson's disease. Altzheimer's disease damages the cortex. The cortex dies back, so the normal feedback mechanisms are disrupted, and this may lead to seizures. The other tricky thing is that patients that need high doses of anti-Parkinson's medicines can have severe dyskinesias that can be misinterpreted as seizures. Patients with dyskinesias are conscious, aware, and can even follow commands. Dyskinesias are not seizures, though they may look like them.

Any of the systemic inflammatory diseases, for instance lupus, rheumatoid arthritis or Sjogren's syndrome can cause inflammation in the brain.When the inflammation is specifically in the blood vessels, it is a condition called vasculitis. It can start sporadically, or can be associated with certain diseases, such as Wegener's granulomatosis or Susac's syndrome. It usually takes strong and prolonged anti-inflammatory medications to treat.

There are too many possible causes of neck pain to list here. It can come from the bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons, blood vessels or nerves. The first question is, was there any trauma to the painful area? Does pain from your neck shoot down into either arm? (possible pinched nerve). Does heat or stretching help? (possible muscle or ligament injury). Can you hear a crunching sound when you turn your head? (bone - wear and tear arthritis). Do you feel a lump in the area of pain? Possible enlarged lymph node or knot in muscle). You should see a doctor because some of these causes of neck pain are more urgent than others.

Is the tumor malignant? If so, there are as many treatment regimens as there are tumors, and not all of them require surgery. If the tumor is not malignant it may not require treatment at all. Meningiomas are the most common non-malignant tumors.They usually grow slowly, over decades. They do need to be followed with scans at specified intervals to be sure there are no unexpected changes, such as sudden growth.They often need to be removed in this case. Also, just because the tumors are benign, doesn't mean they can't cause trouble. As they grow slowly, they may end up pushing on important brain structures. If the tumor is in an at-risk location because of the structures around it, it is often removed.

It very much depends on where the aneurysm was. Most techniques done now use catheters to treat the aneurysm. The aneurysm itself can cause abnormal blood flow, disrupting nerve function. This can result in memory loss. There are, of course, aneurysms that cannot be reached by catheter, and an open-skull surgery (craniotomy) is required. also, if the aneurysm has bled, it is more likely to require craniotomy, and memory loss is common in these patients.

It can be serious. The risk depends on the size of the aneurysm. Aneurysms under 1 cm are considered a low  risk for bleeding. Aneurysms that are 1 cm and larger are usually treated. If an aneurysm bursts, it is very serious and requires immediate treatment. 

The brain tissue itself cannot cause pain. There are no sensory nerve endings in the brain, in other words, we don't feel our brains. Pain can come from the membranes around the brain (the meninges), the bone of the skull and the muscles and arteries over the skull. The most severe damage from head trauma is disruption of the nerves with impact. This can vary in degree, but usually causes changes in mental status or behavior, but is not painful. Bleeding around the brain, like from an aneurysm, (subarachnoid hemorrhage) is very painful, but is all over the head because the pain is due to irritation of the meninges. Bleeding into the brain tissue can happen, but with these there are symptoms more like a stroke, and they are painless. Lastly, depending on the site and force of the trauma, injuries to the skull and structures outside the skull can be problems. Skull fractures, bruising,lacerations or damage to eye and ear are possible. After a head trauma of any kind, it is most wise to have it evaluated. Usually a noncontrast CAT scan of the head is best.

In all ages, a complicated migraine is a cause for concern and emergency evaluation. A complicated migraine is one with stroke-like symptoms, such as weakness on one side of the body or sudden loss of coordination. Otherwise migraines are dangerous for the non-migraine things that can mimic migraines. It is now standard of care to have MRI imaging of the brain to be sure the headaches are not from another cause. These include blood vessel abnormalities, cysts in the ventricles, and many other rare conditions. Also, childhood migraines are most likely to occur with a family history of migraine, and if this is not the case, another explanation should be considered for the headaches. Hydration is extremely important, especially if there is vomiting (or diarrhea), which can also occur with migraines. Cognitive symptoms (trouble thinking, concentrating and speaking) can also occur during the headache, but should clear up within a day of the headache resolving.

Before the surgery they have to be able to identify the area of tissue in the brain that is causing the seizures. When they are able to do that, by removing that tissue, it greatly reduces the chance of seizures. There are always unknown factors. Has this seizure tissue triggered other tissue to set off seizures - they likely ruled that out when finding this seizure tissue. Also, the surgery itself will leave scar that can also set off seizures. That’s the beauty of her being so young, young people have amazing healing capabilities. If they have located the tissue that needs to be removed, the surgery has a much better chance of stopping the seizures than trying multiple medications. Of course, there are no guarantees, but these surgeries are usually very successful.

It certainly could. Have you had any injury to your neck? There are other possible causes, chronic musculoskeletal from stressful neck position at a job or during sleep, congenital scoliosis, much less likely from poor arterial flow or a mass. Some people are born with Chiari malformations of the cerebellum, but these usually cause headaches. Some have increased spinal fluid pressure, but these again usually first cause headaches. You should discuss these possibilities with your doctor to get appropriate testing.

Yes. It is part of post-concussion syndrome. Other symptoms can include dizziness, sleep disturbance, trouble thinking and concentrating, and losing interest in things you used to enjoy.