Living with Damage to the Hypothalamus

Living with Damage to the Hypothalamus

Living with some-one who has a tumor or lesion; caused

by an accidental trauma to the head, a stroke or a penetrating

projectile, ect., can affect many aspects of normal life. Damage

to the hypothalamus can produce many different problems in the

body. According to James Kalat; the hypothalamus is a small area

near the base of the brain just ventral to the thalamus. It has

wide spread connections with the rest of the forebrain and the

midbrain. The hypothalamus contains a number of distinct nuclei.

Partly through nerves and partly through hypothalamic hormones,

the hypothalamus conveys message to pituitary gland, altering

its release of hormones. Damage to a hypothalamic nucleus leads

to abnormalities in one or more motivated behaviors, such as

feeding, drinking, temperature regulation, sexual behavior,

fighting, or activity level (Kalat, 2004). Some of the most

predominant diseases that affect the family and the home life

are; neurophysical diseases, adenohypophysical diseases, and

other hypothalamic syndromes. The most common neurophysical

diseases affected by damage to the hypothalamus are: Diabetes

Insipidus, (SIADH) Syndrome of Inappropriate ADH Secretion and

Cerebral Salt Wasting. Adenohypophysical diseases include:

Panhypopituitarism (Simmonds Disease), abnormalities in growth

and Cushing Disease and Cushing Syndrome. Other Hypothalamic

syndromes that would affect family life include:

Precocious Puberty,

Adiposogenital Dystrophy (Froelich Syndrome), disturbances in

regulation of temperature, appetite and sleep, lastly the Pineal

Gland and Melatonin (Bostrom, 2003).

The Hypothalamus serves as the “head ganglion” of bo...

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...ontributing to a healthy relationship. Open

communication may help family members deal with feeling of

guilt, self-esteem, anxiety, and empathy towards the victim.

Also, support for the spouse in planning the patient’s care

regarding the specific issues and problems is extremely

important for both parties.

References

Boller, Francois. (1982). Sexual Dysfunction in

Neurological Disorders. New York, New York; Raven Press.

Bostrum, Donald. (2003). Psychiatric Nursing. St.Louis;

Mosbey Publishing.

Engel, Jerome., Williamson, Peter. (1997). Fundamental

Mechanisms of Human Brain Function. New York; New York;

Raven Press.

Kalat, James W. (2004). Biological Psychology. (8th

ed.).Belmont; Wadsworth/Thompson Learning.

Ropper, Allen H., Victor, Maurice. (2002). Manual of

Neurology. (7TH ed.). International Edition, McGraw-Hill

Companies, Inc.