About dawson's disease

What is dawson's disease?

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a progressive neurological disorder characterized by inflammation of the brain (encephalitis). The disease may develop due to reactivation of the measles virus or an inappropriate immune response to the measles virus. SSPE usually develops 2 to 10 years after the original viral attack. Initial symptoms may include memory loss, irritability, seizures, involuntary muscle movements, and/or behavioral changes, leading to neurological deterioration.

What are the symptoms for dawson's disease?

If you develop SSPE, you may experience:

  • gradual changes in your behavior
  • unusual behavior
  • a decrease in your cognitive and social abilities
  • difficulty completing schoolwork or work
  • dementia
  • lethargy
  • Muscle spasms or jerking
  • tense or lax muscles
  • Weakness in both legs
  • an unsteady gait
  • seizures
  • a coma

If you’re experiencing seizures, you need to take precautions to avoid injuries that may occur during them.

What are the causes for dawson's disease?

Dawson’s disease is also known as Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE). This is a progressive neurological disorder which is characterized by inflammation of the brain (encephalitis).

1. Generally, this disease occurs due to the reactivation of the measles virus or an inappropriate immune response to the measles virus that affects the central nervous system.
2. It may develop after 2 to 10 years after the original viral attack. Memory loss, irritability, seizures, involuntary muscle movements, and/or behavioral changes, leading to neurological deterioration are the general symptoms of this disease.
3. In this syndrome measles virus may remain inactive and dormant for a starting period of time and then it becomes activated for no specific reason. This type of syndrome usually affects children and young adults.
4. This is mainly caused by measles infection which is acquired earlier in life, maybe due to an abnormal immune response and it will cause a persistent infection within the central nervous system that is the brain and spinal cord.
5. There is no particular treatment for this syndrome. Doctors may give some initial antiviral drugs to prevent some initial conditions and anticonvulsant drugs to control seizures. In general, most cases die within one to three years after diagnosis.

Symptoms
Memory loss,Irritability
Conditions
Myoclonic jerks,Cortical blindness
Drugs
Interferon alpha,Ribavirin

What are the treatments for dawson's disease?

No cure is available for SSPE. However, your doctor can prescribe some antiviral drugs that may slow the progression of your condition. They may also prescribe anticonvulsant drugs to control seizures. According to NINDS, most people with SSPE die within one to three years. In some cases, they live longer.

What are the risk factors for dawson's disease?

Risk factors of Dawson's disease:

1. The measles virus causes Dawson's disease, a deadly, degenerative condition of the central nervous system. Myoclonic seizures, increasing neurologic deficiency, and gradual intellectual and personality abnormalities may all be present in a patient's clinical history over the course of many weeks.

2. A sluggish measles virus is believed to be the cause of Dawson's disease (paramyxovirus). Slow viruses can slumber in humans for a long time before becoming active again for reasons that are still unknown. It is unclear how inheritance affects a person's susceptibility to slow viruses.

3. Many years after the initial sickness, the virus may reactivate and cause new symptoms, such as brain inflammation (encephalitis) and the loss of the fatty layer on nerve fibers (demyelination). Additionally, it might be linked to an improper immunological response to the rubeola virus (measles). Usually, 2 to 10 years before the development of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, the affected person has measles.

4. A few cases of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis have been linked to animal contact in the medical literature. These affected people interacted with pets like dogs, cats, or monkeys who later passed away from the same ailment.

Symptoms
Memory loss,Irritability
Conditions
Myoclonic jerks,Cortical blindness
Drugs
Interferon alpha,Ribavirin

Is there a cure/medications for dawson's disease?

Dawson's disease is a degenerative neurological illness characterized by inflammation of the brain (encephalitis). Reactivation of the measles virus or an improper immune response to the virus could both contribute to the disease's development. It typically manifests 2 to 10 years after the initial viral attack

1. Clinical assessment and blood tests that show abnormally high levels of measles antibodies may be used to confirm the diagnosis of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.
2. EEG analysis of the brain's electrical activity typically reveals a recognizable pattern. Gamma Globulin and measles antibody levels in the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord (cerebrospinal fluid) are frequently higher than average.
3. Sclerosing panencephalitis that is subacute does not have a specific treatment. Anticonvulsants may aid in seizure activity management. Other forms of treatment are supportive and symptomatic.
4. For the treatment of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, additional research is ongoing.
5. For the therapy of this condition, intrathecal injections of the medication interferon alpha (IFN), both with and without oral inosiplex are being studied. About 50% of patients with a slowly progressing version of the condition saw an improvement in their symptoms after receiving this therapy.
6. To determine the interferon alpha's long-term safety and efficacy in treating this condition, more research is required.

Symptoms
Memory loss,Irritability
Conditions
Myoclonic jerks,Cortical blindness
Drugs
Interferon alpha,Ribavirin

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