Which of the following best explains why prolonged seizure activity predisposes to ischemic brain damage in the context of stress and immune function?

• A. Seizure activity increases cerebrospinal fluid production, causing brain swelling.
• B. Prolonged seizures increase metabolic demand, leading to depletion of oxygen and glucose in brain tissue.
• C. Seizures directly cause immune cells to attack healthy neurons.
• D. Prolonged seizures enhance blood flow to the brain, preventing ischemia.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of ischemic brain damage, which occurs when brain tissue is deprived of adequate oxygen and glucose, leading to cell injury or death.
2. Step 2: Recognize that prolonged seizure activity involves intense and sustained neuronal firing, which significantly increases the brain's metabolic demand for oxygen and glucose.
3. Step 3: Analyze how this increased metabolic demand during seizures can outpace the supply of oxygen and glucose delivered by the blood, especially under stress conditions that may already compromise blood flow or immune function.
4. Step 4: Connect the depletion of oxygen and glucose in brain tissue during prolonged seizures to the development of ischemic damage, as neurons cannot sustain their function without these essential resources.
5. Step 5: Evaluate the incorrect options by considering physiological mechanisms: increased cerebrospinal fluid production causing swelling is not the primary cause; immune cells attacking neurons is not a direct effect of seizures; and enhanced blood flow preventing ischemia contradicts the metabolic depletion explanation.