This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Encephalitis lethargica

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Encephalitis lethargica was an epidemic of an encephalitic illness which occurred between 1918 and 1930 that left in its wake a severe extrapyramidal syndrome of parkinsonism with added dystonic movement disorders. Several survivors of the illness were left permanently disabled.

It was characterised by increasing stiffness, apathy, bradykinesia, drowsiness, weakness and tremor. Oculogyric crises were a common feature of encephalitis lethargica.

Rarely, patients suffer obsessional symptoms.

There are occasional sporadic cases of the disease seen in the UK.

The disease, and the temporary relief from its symptoms is the subject of the book and film "Awakenings" by Dr. Oliver Sachs.


Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.