Symptoms Of Moyamoya Syndrome

Headaches

In the United States, headaches are the most common reported cause of physical pain. The majority of these aches are not a sign that serious health complications have occurred. However, unusually intense aches, aches that increase in frequency and pain level, and aches that accompany other neurological symptoms should always be evaluated by a medical professional. In some cases, the headache will be caused by an underlying health condition. Moyamoya syndrome can cause debilitating head pain due to the lack of oxygen getting to the brain. When other health conditions cause head pain, it is called secondary head pain.

Moyamoya syndrome isn't the only condition that causes head pain due to lack of blood flow in the brain. Chronic lung conditions like COPD can cause the blood to be under-oxygenated, which keeps the brain from getting enough oxygen. Oxygen deprivation and head pain caused by moyamoya syndrome will increase in intensity as the blood vessel narrows more or closes entirely.

Aphasia

Aphasia is a language impairment caused by brain damage. Moyamoya patients will often experience worsening aphasia as their disease progresses. This symptom typically presents with other cognitive impairment and signs of neurological degeneration.

In many cases, aphasia occurs because of a traumatic brain injury. If a person is experiencing this symptom without any known brain injury, this is a sign that they have a serious condition affecting their neurological capacity. Aphasia occurs most commonly during a stroke, and frequently, a stroke is the first noticeable symptom a moyamoya patient experiences. Aphasia patients might have difficulty speaking and remembering words. They might also have trouble understanding words being spoken to them. The impairment may appear as an inability to write or read in the person's native language.