Combating Brain Swelling Caused by Malaria can Save Lives

New study on malaria implicates brain swelling and could pave the way for improved treatment of the disease.

According to The New York Times, researchers who performed MRI scans of brains of children with cerebral malaria found that swollen brains compressed the brain area responsible for breathing control. Death ensues as victims suddenly stop breathing. The study involved 168 children of which 25 died. Brain swelling was noted in 21 of the children that died. Malaria is caused by a parasite carried by mosquitoes.

Experts who conducted the study at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Malawi, Africa were aware about cerebral malaria causing brain swelling but said finding evidence was not easy. Examining an autopsied part of the brain may not yield clues to swelling as removing the sample by cutting open the skull releases the pressure.

The study's researchers believe that their finding could be used as a bedside tool to diagnose brain swelling and make changes to treatment. Patients with brain swelling can be put on ventilator to support breathing until the swelling disappears in a few days and medication can take effect. Cerebral malaria is known to carry a high risk of fatality despite treatment.

"The next step is to identify what's causing the swelling and then develop treatments targeting those causes. It's also possible that using ventilators to keep the children breathing until the swelling subsides might save lives, but ventilators are few and far between in Africa at the moment," Terrie Taylor at Michigan State University, said in a news release.