
Consequences of prolonged stress - MRI head scan
A 38 year old male patient, suffered the loss of a close family member. The patient has holds a high political position and is under prolonged chronic stress. He discovered a change in his facial skin and developed swelling in his neck - enlarged lymph glands. He went to see a doctor who referred him for an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan. On this post-contrast MRI scan utilizing T1W FS (T1 Weighted Fat-Saturation) coronal tomogram we see a reduction in the volume of gray matter in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), as well as the insula, two regions that control emotions, abstract thinking and impulses. Chronic multi-cause stress in this young patient has led to reductive changes in the brain parenchyma that are characteristic of a much older age.
Credit
Snezana Stojanovic
Dimensions
2000 x 1899 pixels
Print Size @ 300 dpi
7 x 6 inches / 17 x 16 cm