(Yeah ~ you've seen that gorgeous skull before ~ it's my very own) I stumbled upon the coolest blog this week ~ It's actually titled: Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Multiple Sclerosis, Getting to the Root Causes of Neurodegnerative Diseases
I did a search for Chiari within the blog and found numerous posts. Just glancing through some of the blog posts awakened the researcher in me like Rip Van Winkle after he snoozed way to long!
all humans are predisposed to the brainstem sinking into the foramen magnum due to its location beneath the skull.
Typically, the brainstem is surrounded by cisterns filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) which allows the brain to float above the foramen magnum and base of the skull thus preventing contact with the bones of the base and foramen magnum. In a Chiari malformation, it is typically the tonsillar portion of the cerebellum that gets trapped in the foramen magnum.
the location of the brainstem and cranial nerves in relationship to the base of the skull and foramen magnum. Their location makes them highly susceptible to compression by either an increase or a decrease in CSF volume in the cisterns.
A short length in the base from the front to the back of the cranial vault, predisposes the brain to crowding and a condition called Chiari malformations in which the cerebellum or brainstem gets pushed down into the foramen magnum. Chiari malformations can block both venous blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pathways causing CCSVI and hydrocephalus type conditions. Chiari malformations used to be considered as a childhood problem for the most part. However, recent studies show that trauma can cause Chiari malformations in adults. What’s more, Chiari malformations have also been associated with multiple sclerosis.
