About dawson's encephalitis

What is dawson's encephalitis?

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 encephalitis?

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 encephalitis?

Causes of Dawson's encephalitis:

1. The measles virus causes Dawson's encephalitis, 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 encephalitis (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

What are the treatments for dawson's encephalitis?

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.

Video related to dawson's encephalitis