Kim Kardashian recently underwent a brain scan on her show “The Kardashians,” revealing some unexpected findings. Months after sharing her brain aneurysm diagnosis, Kardashian sought the expertise of Dr. Daniel Amen, a well-known celebrity doctor, for further insights.
In the sixth episode of the seventh season, Dr. Amen, who had previously examined the brains of Kardashian’s sisters Khloé and Kendall, delivered both reassuring and concerning news. He complimented Kim on her “beautiful” brain but noted irregularities in her frontal lobe. These irregularities, referred to as “holes,” were likely due to stress.
Dr. Amen explained to Kardashian, “The front part of your brain is less active than it should be,” highlighting the impact this could have on her ability to manage stress. This is particularly significant as she is currently preparing for her legal board exams.
The frontal lobe is crucial for many functions, as outlined by the Cleveland Clinic. It governs aspects such as thinking, emotions, personality, judgment, self-control, muscle coordination, movements, and memory storage. Such functions are essential, especially in high-pressure situations like those Kardashian faces.
“The front part of your brain is less active than it should be,” he said in the episode. “With your frontal lobes as they work now, it would be harder to manage stress and that’s not good for you, especially as you’re studying and you’re getting ready to take the boards.”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the frontal lobe manages thinking, emotions, personality, judgment, self-control, muscle control and movements, memory storage and more
While not definitive, Amen said the holes and difference in activity could be caused by the stress Kim Kardashian is facing while trying to pass the California bar exam to become a lawyer.
She revealed the original diagnosis in the Season 7 premiere of “The Kardashians.”
“They’re like, ‘It’s just stress,’” Kim Kardashian told her sister Kourtney Kardashian. “And I’m like, people think that I have the luxury of walking away.”
The 45-year-old mother of four has been open about her health, saying that her psoriasis — a skin condition that causes thick, scaly patches — was also caused by stress from her relationship with former husband Kanye West.
What is a brain aneurysm?
An aneurysm is a small bulge or dilation in the wall of a blood vessel. They can be caused by weakened blood vessel walls, leading to an abnormal shape forming. When they form in the brain, they can be particularly dangerous.
When an aneurysm ruptures, it causes sudden, severe bleeding into the surrounding tissues.
That kind of bleeding is especially deadly in the brain because it can damage brain cells and increase pressure in the skull, causing coma or even death.
But according to the Mayo Clinic, most aneurysms don’t burst at all.
On the clinic’s web page for the condition, it notes that they “usually don’t cause symptoms or cause health problems. In many people, brain aneurysms are found during tests for other conditions.”
An unruptured aneurysm can be excised with surgery or treated with blood pressure medication to decrease the chance of a rupture.
“However, if an aneurysm ruptures, it can quickly become life-threatening and requires emergency treatment,” the Mayo Clinic says.
Chris McCrory and Melissa De La Cruz contributed to this report.
