What Does It Mean When Brain Sulci Are Widened and Deepened?

Widened and deepened sulci are manifestations of head imaging, which are caused by brain atrophy and commonly seen in head CT or magnetic resonance imaging reports. There are many reasons for the widening and deepening of sulci, or brain atrophy, including physiological factors such as natural aging, as well as pathological factors. The most common causes are Alzheimer's disease and various types of cerebrovascular diseases. It requires comprehensive judgment by doctors based on the patient's clinical manifestations, signs, and laboratory test results.

Symptoms of Brain Atrophy

The clinical manifestations of brain atrophy are divided into two major categories: decline in brain function and decline in cognitive function, which are mainly related to the location and degree of brain atrophy. Diffuse cerebral cortex atrophy is characterized by dementia, intellectual decline, memory impairment, personality changes, and behavioral disorders. Some patients may also have hemiplegia and epileptic seizures. Localized brain atrophy is mainly manifested as changes in personality and behavior; cerebellar atrophy is mainly manifested as language disorders, ataxia, and intentional tremor. In the early stages of the disease, patients often experience dizziness, headache, insomnia, and dreams, soreness and weakness in the knees and waist, numbness in the hands and feet, tinnitus, and gradual decline in responsiveness, slow movements, mumbling, and incoherent answers. In terms of physical manifestations, patients often show signs of aging, gray hair and missing teeth, dry skin, pigmentation, or hemiplegia, epilepsy, ataxia, tremor, and other neurological symptoms may be present or absent.