What is the course of encephalitis?
The course of an inflammation of the brain is basically divided into two phases. The prodromal phase, in which the first signs become apparent, and the focal phase, which includes the further spectrum of symptoms of encephalitis. In addition to this rough phase division, it is very difficult to present an exact course of the disease, as it depends on the causative pathogen and the time of the start of therapy.
The prodromal phase includes the symptom triad described in almost all cases, consisting of a general fatigue that can last several days, the development of fever and severe headaches that can be very acute. The further course of the disease (focal symptomatology) then depends on the exact localization of the inflammation. In addition to a general clouding of consciousness and fatigue, this can lead to epileptic seizures or loss of function, which can even lead to temporary paralysis. The mortality rate is strongly dependent on the pathogen. With adequate therapy, this rate is only 2% in the presence of TBE encephalitis, whereas herpes virus-induced encephalitis, even with the best therapy, still has a high mortality rate of 10-20%, especially in young children.
Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the entire central nervous system, i.e. the brain and spinal cord. The inflammation mainly leads to a demyelination of the nerves. The myelin surrounding the nerves normally serves as a kind of isolation of the nerves, which means that nerve impulses can be passed from one nerve cell to another much more quickly.
When this isolation is broken down, the transmission of stimuli becomes slower and the typical symptoms of MS develop, such as visual disturbances, motor disorders and mental or cognitive limitations. Initially, these symptoms usually develop in phases, which are then treated with steroids. However, as the disease progresses, the symptoms usually become more severe and persistent. The MS disease is generally accompanied by a reduced life expectancy. There is no curative therapy at the current point of research.
