Why tumor outside spinal cord initially cause loss of temperature and pain?
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Brain and spinal cord tumors are found in the tissue inside the skull or the bony spinal column, which makes up the central nervous system (CNS). A tumor is a mass of cells that forms a new growth or is present at birth (congenital). Tumors occur when genes that regulate cell growth become damaged or mutated, allowing cells to grow and divide out of control. Tumors can form anywhere in the body.
Depending on its type, a growing tumor can kill healthy cells or disrupt their function. It can move or press on sensitive tissue and block the flow of blood and other fluid, causing pain and inflammation. A tumor can also block the normal flow of electricity in the brain or nerve signaling to and from the brain. Some tumors cause no trouble at all.
There are more than 120 types of brain and spinal cord tumors. Some are named by the type of normal cell they most closely resemble (such as glioma) or location (such as meningioma, which form in the lining of the brain and spinal cord). See the Appendix at the end of this guide for a listing of some CNS tumors and tumor-related conditions and the Glossary for specific terms and their meanings.
The following overview explains how the CNS works and what happens when a tumor is present.
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Overview of the brain and spinal cord
The brain has three major parts:
brain stem—This lowest part of the brain (above the neck) connects to the spinal cord and relays information between the brain and the body using bundles of long nerves. It controls basic life-sustaining functions, including blood pressure, heartbeat, breathing, consciousness, swallowing, and body temperature.
cerebrum—This largest and outermost part of the brain processes information from our senses to tell the body how to respond. It controls functions including movement, touch, judgment, learning, speech, emotions, and thinking.
cerebellum—Located at the lower rear of the brain, above the brain stem, the cerebellum controls balance, helps maintain equilibrium, and coordinates such complex muscle movements as walking and talking.
The brain’s two halves, or hemispheres, use nerve cells (neurons) to speak with each other. Each side of the cerebrum controls movement and function on the other side of the body. In addition, each hemisphere has four sections, called lobes, which handle different neurological functions.
The frontal lobes manage voluntary movement, such as writing, and let us set and prioritize goals. A frontal lobe tumor can cause changes in personality, intellect, reasoning, and behavior; affect coordination and walking, and cause speech loss. The temporal lobes are linked to perception, memory, and understanding sounds and words. A tumor here might cause speech and hearing problems, blackouts, seizures, or sensations such as a feeling of fear. The parietal lobes let us simultaneously receive and understand sensations such as pressure and pain. A parietal lobe tumor might cause difficulty understanding or speaking words, problems with coordination, seizures, and numbness or weakness on one side of the body. The occipital lobes receive and process light and visual images, and detect motion. An occipital lobe tumor can affect the field of vision, usually on one side of the view, and how we understand written words.
Three layers of protective tissue (called the meninges) cover the brain—the thick dura mater (outer layer), the arachnoid (middle), and the pia mater (innermost to the brain).
Brain tumors in infants and adults tend to be located in the cerebrum. Brain tumors in children ages 1-12 years are more commonly found in the cerebellum.
The spinal cord—an extension of the brain—lies protected inside the bony spinal column. It contains bundles of nerves that carry messages between the brain and other parts of the body, such as instructions from the brain to move an arm or information from the skin that signals pain.
Depending on its type, a growing tumor can kill healthy cells or disrupt their function. It can move or press on sensitive tissue and block the flow of blood and other fluid, causing pain and inflammation. A tumor can also block the normal flow of electricity in the brain or nerve signaling to and from the brain. Some tumors cause no trouble at all.
There are more than 120 types of brain and spinal cord tumors. Some are named by the type of normal cell they most closely resemble (such as glioma) or location (such as meningioma, which form in the lining of the brain and spinal cord). See the Appendix at the end of this guide for a listing of some CNS tumors and tumor-related conditions and the Glossary for specific terms and their meanings.
The following overview explains how the CNS works and what happens when a tumor is present.
top
Overview of the brain and spinal cord
The brain has three major parts:
brain stem—This lowest part of the brain (above the neck) connects to the spinal cord and relays information between the brain and the body using bundles of long nerves. It controls basic life-sustaining functions, including blood pressure, heartbeat, breathing, consciousness, swallowing, and body temperature.
cerebrum—This largest and outermost part of the brain processes information from our senses to tell the body how to respond. It controls functions including movement, touch, judgment, learning, speech, emotions, and thinking.
cerebellum—Located at the lower rear of the brain, above the brain stem, the cerebellum controls balance, helps maintain equilibrium, and coordinates such complex muscle movements as walking and talking.
The brain’s two halves, or hemispheres, use nerve cells (neurons) to speak with each other. Each side of the cerebrum controls movement and function on the other side of the body. In addition, each hemisphere has four sections, called lobes, which handle different neurological functions.
The frontal lobes manage voluntary movement, such as writing, and let us set and prioritize goals. A frontal lobe tumor can cause changes in personality, intellect, reasoning, and behavior; affect coordination and walking, and cause speech loss. The temporal lobes are linked to perception, memory, and understanding sounds and words. A tumor here might cause speech and hearing problems, blackouts, seizures, or sensations such as a feeling of fear. The parietal lobes let us simultaneously receive and understand sensations such as pressure and pain. A parietal lobe tumor might cause difficulty understanding or speaking words, problems with coordination, seizures, and numbness or weakness on one side of the body. The occipital lobes receive and process light and visual images, and detect motion. An occipital lobe tumor can affect the field of vision, usually on one side of the view, and how we understand written words.
Three layers of protective tissue (called the meninges) cover the brain—the thick dura mater (outer layer), the arachnoid (middle), and the pia mater (innermost to the brain).
Brain tumors in infants and adults tend to be located in the cerebrum. Brain tumors in children ages 1-12 years are more commonly found in the cerebellum.
The spinal cord—an extension of the brain—lies protected inside the bony spinal column. It contains bundles of nerves that carry messages between the brain and other parts of the body, such as instructions from the brain to move an arm or information from the skin that signals pain.
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