Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM)

What is Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis?
Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is a neurological disorder characterized by inflammation of the brain and spinal cord caused by damage to the myelin sheath. The myelin sheath is the fatty covering, which acts as an insulator, on nerve fibers in the brain. ADEM may occur in association with a viral or bacterial infection, as a complication of inoculation or vaccination, or without a preceding cause. Onset of the disorder is sudden. Symptoms, which vary among individuals, may include headache, delirium, lethargy, coma, seizures, stiff neck, fever, ataxia, optic neuritis, transverse myelitis, vomiting, and weight loss. Other symptoms may include monoparesis (paralysis of a single limb) or hemiplegia (paralysis on one side of the body). The disorder occurs in children more often than in adults.

Links to additional information:

• Acute Therapies for the Neuroimmunologic Disorders
• Neuroimmunologic Disorders of the Central Nervous System
• MyDailyApple Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM)
• Neelys Miracle
• The Encephalitis Center at Johns Hopkins
• Neuroimmunological Lessons Learned from Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis
• NINDS Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis Information Page
• Fulminant Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis NOROL BIL D 18: 1 , 2001
  
• Encephalitis Information - Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM)
• Encephalitis Global
• The Contact a Family Directory - ACUTE DISSEMINATED ENCEPHALOMYELITIS
• ADEM support group
• ADEM Discussion Forum
• Obstetric Issues - TM, ADEM, NMO

From the 2010 Rare Neuroimmunologic Disorders Symposium Distinguishing Pediatric TM from ADEM and CIDP: Clinical and Genetic Aspects - Gregory Barnes, MD, PhD, Vanderbuilt University View Video

From the 2008 Rare Neuroimmunologic Disorders Symposium Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM) - Benjamin Greenberg, MD, MHS Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD View Video 27 min

Adobe Acrobat / PDF files are used to retain the formatting of printed documents. To view PDF files, you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not already have the Acrobat Reader installed, please go to Adobe's Acrobat download page now.