Introduction
Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain due to a viral infection (infectious) or when the immune system mistakenly begins to attack brain tissue (autoimmune encephalitis) (Clinic, 2011). Encephalitis is sometimes considered an “acute” condition as the term means it happens abruptly, develops rapidly and requires urgent care (Clinic, 2011). This infection is not very common as statistics show that encephalitis occurs in approximately 0.5 in every 1 000 000 individuals, most of them children, elderly people and individuals with weakened immune system (Gondim, 2013). However, the National Health Service (NHS) states that they suspect incidence is higher than official figures because many causes go unreported when the symptoms are mild (Landis, 2013).
Encephalitis causes flu-like symptoms like fever and severe headaches (Gondim, 2013). This causes many cases of encephalitis to go unnoticed. However, confusion, drowsiness, loss of consciousness, seizures or problems with movement or senses becomes more prominent after some time (Gondim, 2013). Severe cases of encephalitis are rare but can be life-threatening as comas become more likely to occur. Sometimes, meningitis is confused with encephalitis but they are quite different. Meningitis is the inflammation of the protective layer of the brain that shields it (Gondim, 2013). With that said, sometimes patients have meningoencephalitis which is having both meningitis and encephalitis.
Causes and Pathology
Encephalitis can develop due to infections by viruses, bacterium, parasites or fungi or when the immune system responds to a previous infection and mistakenly attacks brain tissue (Gondim, 2013). These two types of encephalitis are called Primary Encephalitis and Secon...
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Abstract: Bovine spongiform encephalopathy is caused by a prion, which is an infectious agent comprised solely of protein. The prion is a degenerate form of a normal cellular protein found in the brain and in nervous tissue. It targets the normal protein and causes the normal protein to change its shape. When enough of the prion is produced, the cell dies and symptoms of the disease are expressed.
there is a disease-causing agent involved with Guillain-Barre it has been classified as a disorder,
In the early twentieth century, during the end of the First World War, the puzzling illness of Encephalitis Lethargica (EL) swept the world. Millions of people were left to die and others less fortunate continued to live, trapped within their frozen and emotionless bodies. EL causes an inflammation of the brain, targeting the brain stem, which is home to critical motor components like the Basal Ganglia and Substantia Nigra. As it progresses, patients feel rigidity, muscle twitching and tremors similar to Parkinsonism. The current theory on the cause of EL is due to an immune reaction to a streptococcus like bacteria. The film “Awakenings” is a good representation of the physiological effects of the disorder but lacks at depicting the seriousness of psychological issues surrounding EL.
research. All that was known is that Rasmussen’s encephalitis was a degenerative disease of the brain
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease attributed to single, sporadic, or repetitive brain trauma, including concussions and subconcussive hits (Baugh et al., 2012; Wortzel et al., 2013). This disease was originally referred to as dementia pugilistica, and nicknamed “punch drunk,” because individuals suffering from this disorder would present symptoms that were similar to someone’s mannerisms while being intoxicated (Wortzel et al., 2013). This “drunken” behavior is thought to be attributed to the cognitive, mood, and behavioral alterations as a result of the repetitive hits to the brain over an extended period of time. Because individuals suffering from this disease are often exposed to conditions that allow them to sustain blows to the head multiple times, the populations most often examined in these studies are athletes (football, boxing, rugby) and/or individuals in the military (McKee et al., 2009). Individuals can be symptom free for several years (Baugh et al., 2012). The onset of symptoms are sometimes seen about eight to ten years after an individual retires from their sport, which roughly equates to someone aged thirty to fifty yeas old (Baugh et al., 2012; Wortzel et al., 2013; Karantzoulis and Randolph, 2013). As with all diseases, symptoms can range from mild to severe. Researchers have found a positive correlation between the number of brain injuries sustained during a length of time playing a sport and the severity of symptoms (McKee et al., 2009).
"Guillain-Barre Syndrome."Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 23 Aug. 2012. Web
The diseases, meningitis and encephalitis, cause various problems in the brain and should be avoided at all costs. Various preventative measures can be taken to avoid them. When one does contract one of the diseases, treatments are available to help cure them, but the treatments do not have a 100 percent success rate. Because of its viral and bacterial tendencies, antibiotics are used at times to attack the diseases as are various vaccines to help prevent contraction of the diseases.
Meningitis by definition is the inflammation of the meninges, the three layered protective membrane that surrounds the central nervous system. The meninges are comprised of the Dura mater, the Arachnoid mater, and the innermost Pia mater. It is of utmost importance to determine if bacteria, virus, fungus, toxins, or parasites, caused the inflammation, and treat the microorganism quickly and efficiently to give the best prognosis. It is of utmost importance to determine the cause of inflammation (i.e. bacteria, virus, fungus, toxins). While viral or aseptic meningitis only need supportive treatment, bacterial meningitis is one of the ten most common causes of death by infectious disease killing approximately 135,000 people a year (Waghdhare, Kalantri, Joshi, & Kalantri, 2010).
The last risk factor that I’m going to discuss is weakened immune systems. Some factors that may cause a weakened immune system are: AIDS, alcoholism, diabetes, and certain drugs. When these factors weaken the immune system your body cannot prevent infection. In fact it is very easy to contract meningitis with the above health issues.
By the time I was a patient at NYU, University of Pennsylvania neuro-oncologist Joseph Dalmau--who, in a 2007 paper, introduced anti-NMDA-receptor encephalitis to the world--had designed two quick diagnostic tests for the illness. After he received samples of my spinal fluid, I became the 217th person to test positive (today that number is in the thousands). By then, I had already entered catatonia, the height of the disease, which precedes breathing failure, coma, and sometimes death. The doctors caught it just in
A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that affects the person’s brain function, causing problems for the brain to function properly. A concussion is known for causing the person to pass out, but not all who suffer from a concussion pass out. Which does not mean the person who did not pass out from a concussion is okay, they should be cautious for any symptoms and visit a doctor and take the proper rest needed. The effects of a concussion are typically only temporarily and will go away in a couple days. Even though they are usually temporarily their is always an exception. In cases where concussion symptoms have worsen long term problems can occur like ALS and CTE. Doctors can’t really diagnose ALS with tests or anything, they have to hear the patient tell them about the symptoms their feeling. Therefore, they can conclude if the patient suffers from ALS. While CTE can only be diagnosed after
Stage II of Lyme disease is known as the disseminated Lyme disease. Lyme disease is a multisystem targeted disease. During this phase, cardiovascular system and central nervous system is significantly affected. The Inflammation level dramatically increases during that stages of the infection, and the longer it goes unchecked it leads to tissue damage, further leading to myocarditis (heart inflammation), meningoencephalitis (inflammation of membrane of the brain and cerebral tissue) and polyradiculitis (inflammation of nerve root connected to CNS). Research has shown that during this phase symptoms from phase one still occur, if not worse. Such as the flu-like symptoms of joint pain, stiff neck, headache, fever, swollen lymph, fatigued and
Imagine losing control of body movement, losing memory, and forgetting family members. Imagine not remembering anything because of a disease. Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) is a brain disease similar to alzheimer's, but CJD is highly infectious and causes a much fast deterioration of the nervous system (Sick!). CJD affects between two hundred and fifty and three hundred Americans each year and is most common in people between the age of fifty and seventy-five years (World of Health). Since CJD is not very common, not many people know what it is, what causes it, and what treatment there is.
Caprine arthritis encephalitis can cause many different symptoms. Symptoms can include arthritis, mastitis in lactating does, weight loss, pneumonia and encephalitis. Some do not have any symptoms, while others have many.
The patient has also been suffering from frequent fevers in the past two months. He has also suffered from frequent headaches but has always taken painkillers (Bloland & Williams, 2003, p. 58). On fevers, the patient has frequently visited a local health clinic that has never done any diagnosis but has given medication, which reduces the fever.