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Post-encephalitic parkinsonism

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Medical condition
Post-encephalitic parkinsonism
SpecialtyNeurology Edit this on Wikidata

Post-encephalitic parkinsonism is a disease believed to be caused by a viral illness that triggers degeneration of the nerve cells in the substantia nigra. Overall, this degeneration leads to clinical parkinsonism.

Historically, starting in 1917 an epidemic of encephalitis lethargica, also called von Economo's encephalitis or "sleepy-disease" occurred, possibly related to the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic; however, even with the use of modern molecular diagnostic tests on appropriate corpses, no firm link between encephalitis lethargica and influenza has been made. Although parkinsonism was occasionally seen during the acute encephalitic phase of encephalitis lethargica, it was often encountered in the post-encephalitic phase. The onset of post-encephalitic parkinsonism may occur several years after the resolution of encephalitis lethargica. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was thought to have suffered from this ailment.

The brain regions affected contain neurofibrillary tangles, similar to those seen in Alzheimer's disease. In post-encephalitic parkinsonism patients, however, the senile plaques common in Alzheimer's disease are not found.

References

  1. Bhattacharyya, Kalyan B. (2015). "Adolf Hitler and His Parkinsonism". Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology. 18 (4): 387–390. doi:10.4103/0972-2327.169536. ISSN 0972-2327. PMC 4683874. PMID 26713007.

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ClassificationD
External resources
Diseases of the nervous system, primarily CNS
Inflammation
Brain
Brain and spinal cord
Brain/
encephalopathy
Degenerative
Extrapyramidal and
movement disorders
Dementia

Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease

Mitochondrial disease
Demyelinating
Episodic/
paroxysmal
Seizures and epilepsy
Headache
Cerebrovascular
Other
CSF
Other
Both/either
Degenerative
SA
MND
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