Can you get ADEM as an adult?
Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, or ADEM, can happen to anyone, but affects children more often than adults. This rare neurological disorder often occurs after a viral or bacterial infection.
Can you fully recover from ADEM?
More than 85 percent of people with ADEM recover fully within a few weeks. Most others recover within a few months. Steroid treatments can shorten the duration of an attack. A small number of people are left with mild cognitive or behavioral changes, such as confusion and drowsiness.
What is ADEM adult?
Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), also known as postinfectious encephalomyelitis, is an autoimmune demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Commonly triggered by viral infections, ADEM is caused by an inflammatory reaction in the brain and spinal cord.
Does ADEM go away?
The long-term prognosis for individuals with ADEM is generally favorable. For most individuals, recovery begins within days, and within six months the majority of ADEM patients will have total or near total recoveries.
Can ADEM happen twice?
ADEM usually only occurs once, sometimes twice. Multiple attacks are very rare so may require further tests and discussion to confirm the diagnosis.
Is ADEM progressive?
The onset of ADEM is acute and rapidly progressive, and it is characterized by multifocal neurologic symptoms that require early hospitalization.
What are the long term effects of ADEM?
The long-term outlook ( prognosis ) for people with ADEM varies. Most people begin to recover within days, with total or near-total recovery within a few months. Rarely, there may be some lifelong neurological impairment. Very rarely, ADEM can be fatal.
Does myelin regenerate?
Our brains have a natural ability to regenerate myelin. This repair involves special myelin-making cells in the brain called oligodendrocytes. These cells are made from a type of stem cell found in our brains, called oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs). But as we age, this regeneration happens less.
Can ADEM progress to MS?
While ADEM is typically an isolated event, a clinical presentation consistent with ADEM can be the first manifestation of multiple sclerosis in children. Around 45 percent of children with a demyelinating event will have a second event, and 20 percent of children diagnosed with ADEM will progress to MS.
What is Adem medical condition?
Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is a rare neurological disorder. It affects children more than adults, but can affect anyone. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy
What is Adem disease?
What is acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM)? ADEM is a brief but widespread bout of inflammation that can damage myelin in your brain, spinal cord, and sometimes the nerve connecting your eye to your brain, called the optic nerve.
What is acute disseminated encephalomyelitis?
What is acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM)? Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is a disorder in which the immune system causes an intense attack on the brain, and sometimes the spinal cord and the optic nerves. Often ADEM follows viral or bacterial infections, although it is uncommon to find a specific infection.