Pune: The provisional diagnosis of a neurological condition that necessitated life support treatment to developer D S Kulkarni is often seen in older people having underlying medical conditions. These include diabetes, hypertension, high blood cholesterol level and obesity, experts said.Medically termed as vertebro-basilar insufficiency (VBI), the neurological condition is characterised by poor blood supply to posterior (back) part of brain involving brain stem, cerebellum, and occipital cortex.“It is a common cause of neurological deficits, stroke and paralysis in the elderly population. About 30-40 percent strokes happen in the vertebra-basilar territory,” neurologist Rajas Deshpande, director (neurology), Ruby Hall Clinic, said.“Any headache, vertigo, double vision, imbalance or slurred speech, tingling over the body should never be ignored, even by the young. An opinion of a neurologist should be sought as soon as possible,” Deshpande added.A build-up of cholesterol (artherosclerosis) in the arteries, thickening of the arteries due to high blood pressure, smoking and other causes of blockage lead to this affliction.Vertebro-basilar insufficiency is also called beauty parlour syndrome (see box).“Though classical vertebra-basilar insufficiency is due to narrowing of blood vessels due to disease process, in beauty parlour syndrome it is due trauma to arterial wall resulting from prolonged bending and stretching of neck. Patients with classical beauty parlour syndrome are uncommon in India,” vascular surgeon Nitin Pathak of Jehangir Hospital said.

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