Just curious...can stress cause brain lesions?

[stalo]

I had a follow up the other day on my neuropsych tests. Good news is I am where I should be for my age. The neuropsych Dr told my neurologist in the report that my issues are likely due to stress/anxiety & fatigue/sleeplessness. So, now both are telling me to see a counselor. Not bad advice, necessarily, b/c I am under a lot of stress right now. BUT...I get the feeling they are leaning toward writing me off as a stress-induced sx kind of thing. The big question is then...can stress cause brain lesions? Do any of you know?

Thanks,
Sue

[Shiela]

Does your MRI show lesions?

[stalo]

Yes...I have many of them. They are "not in the right place for MS" according to an MS specialist I went to. Although, the original radiologist who read my MRI said it looked like a "de-mylinating disease".

[SNOOPY]

Hello Sue,

No, stress does not cause lesions.

It is true stress, anxiety, fatigue and sleeplessness can cause cognitive problems or put you at risk for cognitive problems.

You might find this URL helpful in understanding how stress affects the brain:

http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/stress.html

[stalo]

Thank you, Snoopy. That was a great website.

I just got the feeling that my pnp was alluding to the fact that my sensory sx might be a response to stress in my life. I would agreee, except for those pesky lesions.

[brenmatt97]

No, stress does not cause lesions.

It is true stress, anxiety, fatigue and sleeplessness can cause cognitive problems or put you at risk for cognitive problems.


- Is there a way to reverse those cognitive problems once they've taken over? From what I've gotten from our doctors, without words, the answer is no. I know there are things to do to help - but can you ever really recover?
- Also, I thought I understood our initial neurologist when first dx say to avoid "heat, stress, and over-exertion" to help avoid another relapse. So, can exessive personal stress (not due to MS dx) cause irreversable damage for MS patients?

[0485c10]

Hmm i thought lesions can be caused by many things, such as prescription and non prescription drug use, age and stress. Stress by way of uncontrolled high blood pressure which can also cause strokes( mini strokes can cause lesions) and there is a name..

Vischow Ropbin Space

but your doc & radiologist would be able to differentiatate those.

http://www.radiologyassistant.nl/en/...p4594f74ccbf19

http://www.medicinenet.com/brain_les...rain/page3.htm

[Shiela]

0485c10 that's where I was going to. Stress>blood pressure>stroke or lacune (lacunes are sometimes a precursor to MS).

I would listen to your neuro before your radiologist (who can't correlate the clinical picture).

It's true that lesions can be caused by a number of other things including age and migranes. MS lesions have certain characteristics and typical locations in the brain. Looking at those things it is possible to determine the likelyhood of causes.

[stalo]

I think I might be a conundrum...I have remarkably low blood pressure all the time. They checked my heart for a hole which would have been throwing clots, but nothing wrong there. Never had migraines, never smoked, have used prescription drugs (have had 11 knee operations) but now, just AD & GABA. This is why I ask...what am I missing?

[Shiela]

Could be your lesions are questionable. Seeing a counselor might help to eliminate that as a cause. After all, MS is a diagnose of elimination, and if there is justifiable cause to suspect that stress might be the problems it would make sense to rule it out/in.