Osmosis video - Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), also called post-infectious encephalomyelitis, is a rare but serious neurologic disorder in which nerves in the brain and spinal cord become demyelinated due to an inflammation that takes place after a course of an infection.

The cause of ADEM is not well understood, but it is believed to be autoimmune-related. Symptoms come on suddenly and include headache, fever, difficulty speaking or understanding speech, weakness or paralysis of an arm or leg, double vision, seizures, and coma.