Encephalomyelitis
Encyclopedia
Encephalomyelitis is a general term for inflammation
of the brain
and spinal cord
, describing a number of disorders:
Inflammation
Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...
of the brain
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
and spinal cord
Spinal cord
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue and support cells that extends from the brain . The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system...
, describing a number of disorders:
- Acute disseminated encephalomyelitisAcute disseminated encephalomyelitisAcute disseminated encephalomyelitis is an immune mediated disease of the brain. It usually occurs following a viral infection but may appear following vaccination, bacterial or parasitic infection, or even appear spontaneously. As it involves autoimmune demyelination, it is similar to multiple...
or postinfectious encephalomyelitis, a demyelinating diseaseDemyelinating diseaseA demyelinating disease is any disease of the nervous system in which the myelin sheath of neurons is damaged. This impairs the conduction of signals in the affected nerves, causing impairment in sensation, movement, cognition, or other functions depending on which nerves are involved.The term...
of the brain and spinal cord, possibly triggered by vaccination or viralVirusA virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
infection; - Encephalomyelitis disseminata, a synonym for multiple sclerosisMultiple sclerosisMultiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
; - Equine encephalomyelitis, a potentially fatal mosquitoMosquitoMosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
-borne viral disease that infects horses and humans; - Myalgic encephalomyelitis, a syndrome involving inflammation of the central nervous system with symptoms of muscle pain and fatigue; the term has sometimes been used interchangeably with chronic fatigue syndromeChronic fatigue syndromeChronic fatigue syndrome is the most common name used to designate a significantly debilitating medical disorder or group of disorders generally defined by persistent fatigue accompanied by other specific symptoms for a minimum of six months, not due to ongoing exertion, not substantially...
, though there is still controversy over the distinction. - Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitisExperimental autoimmune encephalomyelitisExperimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, sometimes Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis is an animal model of brain inflammation. It is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system...
(EAE), an animal model of brain inflammation.