Complex movement disorders in SARS-CoV-2 infection induced acute disseminated encephalomyelitis

Rare neurological and neuropsychiatric manifestations of scrub typhus: a case series of 10 cases

INTRODUCTION

Scrub typhus is a potentially life-threatening but curable disease that can produce multi-organ failure. Neurological manifestations in scrub typhus have gained attention recently, where the entire neural axis except the myoneural junction can be involved. Although the pathogenesis of neurological involvement has not been established, immune-mediated mechanisms are suspected. This article reports the clinicopathological features of scrub typhus cases presenting several rare neurological and neuropsychiatric manifestations.

METHODS

Three hundred fifty-four serologically confirmed scrub typhus cases were admitted to the Department of General Medicine of Burdwan Medical College and Hospital (West Bengal, India) between May 2018 and May 2022. There were 50 patients who had predominantly neurological manifestations. Of these 50 cases, ten patients presented with extremely rare neurological manifestations.

RESULTS

We report 10 cases of scrub typhus (four men and six women) who presented with complex neurological pictures (posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, Opalski syndrome, parkinsonism, cerebellitis, isolated opsoclonus, acute transverse myelitis, myositis, polyradiculoneuropathy with cranial neuropathy, acute transient behavioral changes, and fibromyalgia). Immune-mediated mechanisms might have mediated the pathogenesis of most cases following scrub typhus infection.

CONCLUSION

From a clinicopathological point of view, each case was unique in its presentation and treatment response. In any acute onset neurological disorders associated with febrile illness in the tropics or subtropics, scrub typhus infection should be included in the differential diagnosis, despite the absence of eschar and unremarkable neuroimaging findings. This otherwise curable disease may result in multi-organ dysfunction syndrome and death if the diagnosis is delayed.

SARS-CoV-2 and Environmental Changes: The Perfect Storm

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the global economy. It also provided insights into how the looming global climate crisis might be addressed, as there are several similarities between the challenges proposed by COVID-19 and those expected from the coming climate emergency. COVID-19 is an immediate health threat, but climate change represents a more gradual and insidious risk that will lead to long-term consequences for human health. Research shows that climate change, air pollution and the pandemics have a negative impact on health. Recent studies show that COVID-19 mortality increases with climate extremes. The goal of our review is to analyze the clinical findings of COVID-19 and how they are affected by the climate change, while also providing insight into the emergence of new variants and their ability to evade the immune system. We selected and synthesized data from primary studies, reviews, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. Selection was based on rigorous methodological and relevance criteria. Indeed, a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, named JN.1, has emerged as the dominant, first in the United States and then worldwide; the variant has specific mutations in its spike proteins that increase its transmissibility. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), JN.1 is currently the most reported variant of interest (VOI), having been identified in 132 countries. We highlight the link between climate change and pandemics, emphasizing the need for global action, targeted medical approaches and scientific innovation.

De Novo Movement Disorders Associated with COVID-19- A Systematic Review of Individual Patients

Background

COVID-19 infection is associated with neurological manifestations, including various types of movement disorders (MD). A thorough review of individual patients with COVID-19-induced MD would help in better understanding the clinical profile and outcome of these patients and in prognostication.

Objective

We conducted an individual patient-systematic review to study the clinical and imaging profile and outcomes of patients with COVID-19-associated MD.

Methods

A systematic literature search of PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases was conducted by two independent reviewers. Individual patient data COVID from case reports and case series on COVID-19-associated MD, published between December 2019 and December 2022, were extracted and analyzed.

Results

Data of 133 patients with COVID-19-associated MD from 82 studies were analyzed. Mean age was 55 ± 18 years and 77% were males. A mixed movement disorder was most commonly seen (41%); myoclonus-ataxia was the most frequent (44.4%). Myoclonus significantly correlated with age (odds ratio (OR) 1.02 P = 0.03, CI 1-1.04). Tremor had the longest latency to develop after SARS-CoV-2 infection [median (IQR) 21 (10-40) days, P = 0.009, CI 1.01-1.05]. At short-term follow-up, myoclonus improved (OR 14.35, P value = 0.01, CI 1.71-120.65), whereas parkinsonism (OR 0.09, P value = 0.002, CI 0.19-0.41) and tremor (OR 0.16, P value = 0.016, CI 0.04-0.71) persisted.

Conclusion

Myoclonus-ataxia was the most common movement disorder after COVID-19 infection. Myoclonus was seen in older individuals and usually improved. Tremor and parkinsonism developed after a long latency and did not improve in the short-term.

The Occurrence of Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis in SARS-CoV-2 Infection/Vaccination: Our Experience and a Systematic Review of the Literature

BACKGROUND

The neurological complications of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and the side effects of vaccination include immune-mediated diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) such as acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM). It is an acute-onset demyelinating disease that involves a rapid evolution and multifocal neurological deficits that develops following a viral or bacterial infection or, less frequently, following vaccination. Acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis (AHLE) is the hemorrhagic variant of ADEM that presents a more severe evolution which can be followed by coma and death. The objectives of this study consist in evaluating the diagnosis, clinical characteristics, imaging and laboratory features, evolution, and treatment of ADEM and AHLE following COVID-19 infection or vaccination.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review of the medical literature according to PRISMA guidelines that included ADEM cases published between 1 January 2020 and 30 November 2022 following severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and vaccination and also included our own clinical experience regarding this pathology.

RESULTS

A total number of 74 patients were diagnosed with ADEM, 45 following COVID-19 infection and 29 after a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. A total of 13 patients (17.33%) presented AHLE. The moderate form of COVID-19 presented a positive correlation with AHLE (r = 0.691, p < 0.001). The existence of coma and AHLE was correlated with poor outcomes. The following more aggressive immunomodulatory therapies applied in severe cases were correlated with poor outcomes (major sequelae and death): therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) treatment (r = 382, p = 0.01) and combined therapy with corticosteroids and TPE (r = 0.337, p = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

Vaccinations are essential to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the monitoring of adverse events is an important part of the strategic fight against SARS-CoV-2. The general benefits and the overall good evolution outweigh the risks, and prompt diagnosis is associated with a better prognosis in these patients.

Prognostic factors for functional recovery in children with moderate to severe acute disseminated encephalomyelitis

BACKGROUND

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is an immune-mediated encephalopathy with heterogeneous disease courses. However, clinical characteristics for a prognostication of functional recovery from acute episodes of ADEM remain limited. The study aims to characterize the clinical presentations and neuroimaging findings of children with poor functional recoveries from acute episodes of moderate to severe ADEM.

METHODS

The multicenter retrospective cohort study included children under 18 years of age who presented with moderate to severe ADEM (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] ≥ 3 at nadir) from 2002 to 2019. Children were assigned to a good recovery group (mRS ≤ 2) and a poor recovery group (mRS ≥ 3) after mean 4.3 months of follow-up. The clinical presentations and the distribution of brain lesions on magnetic resonance imaging were compared between the two groups by the t-test for numerical variables and Fisher's exact test for categorical variables. Analyses of logistic regression were conducted and significant variables in the multivariate model were examined by the receiver operating characteristic curve for the prediction of functional recovery.

RESULTS

Among the 73 children with moderate to severe ADEM, 56 (77%) had good functional recoveries and 17 (23%) showed poor functional recoveries. Children with poor recoveries had a lower rate of prodromal headache (12% vs. 39%, p = 0.04), and presented with higher proportions of dystonia (29% vs. 9%, p = 0.046), myoclonus (24% vs. 2%, p = 0.009), and cerebellar lesions on neuroimages (59% vs. 23%, p = 0.01). The multivariate analyses identified that a lack of prodromal headache (OR 0.1, 95% CI 0.005 - 0.7, p = 0.06) and the presentations of myoclonus (OR 21.6, 95% CI 1.7 - 874, p = 0.04) and cerebellar lesions (OR 4.8, 95% CI 1.3 - 19.9, p = 0.02) were associated with poor functional recoveries. These three factors could prognosticate poor outcomes in children with moderate to severe ADEM (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.80, 95% CI 0.68 - 0.93, p = 0.0002).

CONCLUSION

Nearly one-fourth of children with moderate to severe ADEM had a poor functional recovery from acute episodes, who were characterized by a lack of prodromal headache, the presentation of myoclonus, and the neuroimaging finding of cerebellar lesions. The clinical variables associated with poor functional recoveries could assist in the planning of immunotherapies during hospitalization for a better outcome in moderate to severe ADEM.