Abstract. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used to diagnose an unusual and fatal case of progressive encephalitis in an immunocompromised adult

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To evaluate the performance of post mortem laboratory analysis in identifying...

Rabies virus (RABV) is a pathogen well-adapted to the nervous system, where it infects the neurons. RABV is transmitted by the bite of an infected animal. It enters the nervous system via a motor neuron through the neuromuscular junction, or via a sensory nerve...

Journal of Medical Virology is a clinical virology journal focused on the diagnosis, epidemiology, immunology and pathogenesis of human viral infections & diseases.

BackgroundNeuro-cognitive impairment is a deleterious complication of bacterial infections that is difficult to treat or prevent. Listeria monocytogenes (Lm)...

Francisella tularensis (Ft.) is a gram-negative coccobacillus bacterium that causes the zoonotic disease tularemia in humans. Ft. causes the most severe, often fatal, form of the disease through inhalation. However, Ft. is most commonly transmitted through direct contact with infected animal carcasses such as rodents and rabbits, consumption of contaminated food or water, or through arthropod bites, particularly ticks. Due to its extremely low infectious dose, high mortality rate, and potential use as a biological warfare agent, Ft. is classified by the CDC as a "Tier 1 select agent". Ft. infection triggers an overactive inflammatory response, termed a "cytokine storm", which produces excessive tissue damage (and even failure) of vital organs, leading to rapid death of the host before its adaptive immunity responses can be brought to bear against the infection. In the periphery, macrophages, paradoxically the target cell for Ft., provide innate immune defense against foreign material, including bacteria. Microglia, the resident macrophage-like cells of the brain and spinal cord, rapidly respond to pathological changes in the central nervous system, serving a similar function as macrophages. Their rapid activation is an important factor in guarding the neural parenchyma against infectious diseases, inflammation, and neurodegeneration while maintaining and facilitating the return to tissue homeostasis. In the United States, several clinical cases of tularemia meningitis were diagnosed since 1931; however, there is no further research exploring the condition. We hypothesize that, after peripheral inoculation of Ft., the bacteria infiltrate the central nervous system using a Trojan horse-type mechanism and infect microglia, leading to overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the brain which then cause damage to surrounding neurons, ultimately leading to death. The research trajectory for this project is to: 1) identify the cellular targets of Ft. in the CNS; 2) identify the mechanism by which Ft. infiltrates the central nervous system; and 3) determine the resulting level of neuroinflammation in the brain after infection.

Globally, there are an estimated 10.6 million cases of meningitis and 288,000 deaths every year, with the vast majority occurring in low- and middle-income countries. In addition, many survivors suffer from long-term neurological sequelae. Most ...

Pastula found two cases of monkeypox-associated encephalomyelitis — inflammation of the brain and spinal cord — in Colorado and Washington, D.C.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a far-reaching impact on nearly all aspects of society. First identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei, China, COVID-19 is disseminated primarily via respiratory droplets and has the potential to cause severe respiratory distress in

This review deliberates whether SARS-CoV-2 can access the central nervous system and contribute to acute respiratory distress.

Status epilepticus is a true emergency when a seizure lasts too long. Learn the 7 important things everyone should know.

Epilepsy is a disorder characterized by recurrent seizures. Seizures are caused by abnormal activity of nerve cells, called neurons, in the brain. Learn more.

Absence seizures are seizures that last just a few seconds, and are characterized by a blank or "absent" stare. They're also sometimes called petit mal seizures.

Focal seizures appear to start abruptly and unpredictably when recorded from volumes of brain probed by clinical intracranial electroencephalograms. To investigate the spatiotemporal scale of focal epilepsy, wide-bandwidth electrophysiological recordings ...

These seizures begin in the temporal lobes of the brain. They can trigger a variety of symptoms such as odd feelings, fear and unresponsiveness.

Guides to sectioning, discrimination, and your rights in other common situations. For adults in England and Wales who live with mental health problems.

Many of us encounter stigma related to mental health. We offer practical tips on how you can challenge and deal with stigma or misconceptions.

Pseudoseizure is an older term for events that appear to be epileptic seizures but, in fact, do not represent the manifestation of abnormal excessive synchronous cortical activity, which defines epileptic seizures. They are not a variation of epilepsy but are of psychiatric origin. Other terms used in the past include hysterical seizures, psychogenic seizures, and others. The most standard current terminology is psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES). Some advocate other terms such as psychogenic functional spells or psychogenic nonepileptic events, spells, or attacks. These terms reinforce the idea that the events are not epileptic seizures.[1][2][3][4][5] A retrospective review of a small number of patients over a number of years revealed that dozens of different diagnostic terms were used to describe these events.[5] Though established in use, the term pseudoseizure and others should be regarded as jargon, and the use of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (or alternatively, spells) (PNES) is encouraged for clarity.

Sunflower syndrome is a rare epileptic disorder characterized by highly stereotyped seizures.

Learn about the link between PTSD and seizures, types of seizures, causes, misdiagnosis, and treatment options to manage symptoms effectively.