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Medical condition
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 with 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.
[1]
The brain regions affected contain
neurofibrillary tangles
, similar to those seen in
Alzheimer's disease
. Nevertheless, the
senile plaques
common in Alzheimer's disease are not found.
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