J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 1997; 9:534-540
Copyright © 1997 by American Neuropsychiatric Association
Neuropsychiatric features of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis: a review
SP Patel and RS Friedman
Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis is a disorder associated with
significant morbidity and mortality. A description and literature review
are presented to focus attention on the myriad neuropsychiatric
manifestations of this disease. Common psychiatric symptoms include
lethargy, irritability, and confusion. Ataxia, seizures, and other signs
representing involvement of various areas of the brain and spinal cord are
common neurologic presentations. The cerebrospinal fluid shows only
nonspecific abnormalities, whereas magnetic resonance imaging may show
various lesions in the white matter representing demyelination. The
treatment of choice is steroids, but there can be significant residual
sequelae of the disease, including intellectual and behavioral
abnormalities.
