Health: Mysterious Disease Discovered Locally, Strikes Mainly Young Women

Health: Mysterious Disease Discovered Locally, Strikes Mainly Young Women (page 2)

February 7, 2013 11:15 PM

Reporting Stephanie Stahl

Filed under

Health, Philadelphia, Seen on, Syndicated Local, Watch + Listen

Featured Gallery

Namaste: Yoga Poses For Beginners

For more trusted health

news and information,

visit CBS Philly's

Check Out

A drawing of a clock is how doctors figured out what was going on. Susannah put all the numbers on one side, a clear indication there was a neurological — not a psychological — issue.

“Nobody knew about the condition,” said Dr. Josep Dalmau, a neurologist with the University of Pennsylvania. He first discovered the disease there in 2007.

The rare brain inflammation strikes mainly young women. No one knows why.

“A frequent mistake is to think that the patient has a primary psychiatric disorder. There are many patients that I still think that they are misdiagnosed,” said Dr. Dalmau.

Susannah and Emily were both eventually correctly diagnosed at Penn. Researchers there developed both a spinal fluid test to diagnose the disease, and an immunotherapy to treat it. That can take weeks even months.

Susannah, who’s completely recovered, is back and reunited with her dog in New Jersey. She just published a book about her journey called, Brain On Fire: My Month of Madness.

“You know, thousands of people have now been diagnosed, so it’s a rare condition, but it’s not exceedingly rare. It’s not as rare as initially thought,” said Susannah.

Emily and her parents now want to warn others about the mysterious disease.

“There could be people in comas right now or people stuck in psych wards that have this disease and aren’t being treated properly,” said Emily.

At this point, there is no cure. Emily and Susannah could relapse, which would require a new round of treatments.

Penn recently released a new study about the disease.

For more on Penn Medicine, visit: www.pennmedicine.org

For more on Susannah Cahalan, visit: www.susannahcahalan.com

MOST VIEWED GALLERIES

PHOTOS: Angelina Jolie Through The Years
PHOTOS: Celebrity Infidelity Scandals
PHOTOS: Celebrity Birthdays: May
PHOTOS: Top 20 Most Hated Hollywood Celebrities
PHOTOS: Celebrity Photobombs

PAGES: 1 2

Health: Mysterious Disease Discovered Locally, Strikes Mainly Young Women

http://prn.fm/2013/02/14/mysterious-disease-discovered-locally-strikes-mainly-young-women/ Mysterious Disease Discovered Locally, Strikes Mainly Young Women

[...] rare brain inflammation strikes mainly young women. No one knows [...]
http://pianetablunews.wordpress.com/2013/02/14/giovani-donne-americane-vengono-colpite-da-una-misteriosa-malattia/ Giovani donne americane vengono colpite da una misteriosa malattia | Pianetablunews

[...] la malattia come se avessero “il cervello in fiamme”. Come scrive Stephanie Stahl nell’articolo per la CBS, i sintomi della malattia cominciano con un cambiamento di personalità. Giovani donne, che fino [...]
http://hebrewvisionnews.info/?p=1032 New Mystery Disease Strikes Young Women With Demonic Possession Like Symptoms | Hebrew Vision News

[...] knew about the condition,” said Dr. Josep Dalmau, a neurologist with the University of Pennsylvania. He first discovered the disease there in [...]
http://underthebutton.com/2013/02/something-that-sucks-more-than-midterms-mysterious-diseases/ Under the Button » Something That Sucks More Than Midterms: Mysterious Diseases

[...] This article from CBS warns about a mysterious sickness that seems to be striking mainly young women. Appearing at first like a mental illness, the disease begins with personality changes. Affected women bounce between feeling hysterical and catatonic with no warning or explanation, prompting doctors to claim that it was like their brains were on fire. It’s no mental illness, but an auto-immune condition that causes antibodies to affect the brain. [...]
http://georgevalah.wordpress.com/2013/02/12/stiri-scurte-12-02-2013/ Stiri scurte: 12.02.2013 « George Valah Blog

[...] Health: Mysterious Disease Discovered Locally, Strikes Mainly Young Women [...]
http://thetruthisnotachoice.com/2013/02/12/event-horizon/ Event Horizon « The Truth is Not a Choice

[...] New Mystery Disease Strikes Young Women With Demonic Possession Like Symptoms [...]
http://telcomintl.wordpress.com/2013/02/11/health-mysterious-disease-discovered-locally-strikes-mainly-young-women-cbs-philly/ Health: Mysterious Disease Discovered Locally, Strikes Mainly Young Women – CBS Philly | Telcomil Intl Products and Services

[...] See on philadelphia.cbslocal.com [...]
http://gatesofvienna.net/2013/02/gates-of-vienna-news-feed-2102013/ Gates of Vienna News Feed 2/10/2013 | Gates of Vienna

[...] New Mystery Disease Strikes Young Women With Demonic Possession Like Symptoms [...]
http://cedarridge2007.wordpress.com/2013/02/11/unexplained-disease-striking-philadelphia-women/ Unexplained Disease Striking Philadelphia Women | cedarridge2007

[...] rare brain inflammation strikes mainlyyoung women. No one knows [...]
http://theageofblasphemy.wordpress.com/2013/02/11/mystery-brain-disease-strikes-women-in-us/ Mystery Brain Disease Strikes Women in US « The Age of Blasphemy

[...] Doctors have been wrestling with a newly discovered illness that attacks mainly young women and looks a lot like psychosis. In Philadelphia, hospitalized women appeared possessed, crying or laughing hysterically one moment and turning catatonic the next. One had seizures and left her arms stuck out in front of her. Finally doctors realized they weren’t crazy—they were suffering from an auto immune disease known as Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis, reports CBS Philadelphia. [...]
http://www.sportshoopla.com/forums/sports-forum-general-discussion/83477-plausibility-zombie-apocalypse.html#post2777326 The Plausibility of a Zombie Apocalypse

[...] [...]
http://www.startalk.ws/mysterious-disease-leaving-philadelphia-women-possessed-catatonic/ Mysterious Disease Leaving Philadelphia Women ‘Possessed,’ Catatonic… « Star Talk

[...] DrudgeReportArchives.com Popular Headlines [...]
http://watchmanstrumpetblast.wordpress.com/2013/02/09/health-mysterious-disease-discovered-locally-strikes-mainly-young-women/ Health: Mysterious Disease Discovered Locally, Strikes Mainly Young Women « watchmanstrumpetblast

[...] http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2013/02/07/health-mysterious-disease-discovered-locally-strikes-mai… [...]
http://eyeonenews.com/index.php/2013/02/09/mysterious-disease-leaving-philadelphia-women-possessed-catatonic-brain-on-fire/ Mysterious Disease Leaving Philadelphia Women ‘Possessed,’ Catatonic – Brain On Fire

[...] Source: CBS [...]
http://somicom.com/media/index.php/2013/02/09/stranger-than-fiction-mysterious-disease-leaving-philadelphia-women-possessed-catatonic/ Stranger Than Fiction: Mysterious Disease Leaving Philadelphia Women ‘Possessed,’ Catatonic

[...] Source: CBS [...]
http://maxonemedia.com/media/index.php/2013/02/09/a-mysterious-disease-leaving-philadelphia-women-possessed-catatonic/ A Mysterious Disease Leaving Philadelphia Women ‘Possessed,’ Catatonic

[...] Source: CBS [...]
http://cafevid.com/media/2013/02/shocking-mysterious-disease-leaving-philadelphia-women-possessed-catatonic/ Shocking: Mysterious Disease Leaving Philadelphia Women ‘Possessed,’ Catatonic

[...] Source: CBS [...]
http://www.czhliw.com/2013/02/health-mysterious-disease-discovered-locally-strikes-mainly-young-women-cbs-philly/ Health: Mysterious Disease Discovered Locally, Strikes Mainly Young Women « CBS Philly ← Constitutional Zombie Hunting Libertarian Info-Warrior

[...] Health: Mysterious Disease Discovered Locally, Strikes Mainly Young Women « CBS Philly. [...]
http://infowars2post.wordpress.com/2013/02/09/key-intel-on-the-ground-hot-headlines/ KEY INTEL ON THE GROUND: HOT HEADLINES! | infowars2post

[...] Health: Mysterious Disease Discovered Locally, Strikes Mainly Young Women:Young women dazed, restrai… [...]
http://www.thoughtftw.org/2013/02/08/mysterious-disease-leaving-philadelphia-women-possessed-catatonic/ Mysterious Disease Leaving Philadelphia Women ‘Possessed,’ Catatonic | Thought FTW

[...] Source: CBS [...]
http://blackkettle.wordpress.com/2013/02/08/health-mysterious-disease-discovered-locally-strikes-mainly-young-women/ Health: Mysterious Disease Discovered Locally, Strikes Mainly Young Women « THE BLACK KETTLE

[...] Health: Mysterious Disease Discovered Locally, Strikes Mainly Young Women [...]
http://ibankcoin.com/news/2013/02/08/zombie-files-mysterious-disease-in-philadelphia-leaves-young-women-in-catatonic-condition/ Zombie Files: Mysterious Disease in Philadelphia Leaves Young Women in Catatonic Condition | iBC_FN | iBankCoin Financial News

[...] Full article [...]
http://okcnutrition.wordpress.com/2013/02/08/health-mysterious-disease-discovered-locally-strikes-mainly-young-women-cbs-philly/ Health: Mysterious Disease Discovered Locally, Strikes Mainly Young Women « CBS Philly | Oklahoma City Nutrition and Wellness Information

[...] Health: Mysterious Disease Discovered Locally, Strikes Mainly Young Women « CBS Philly. [...]