the.com/encephalitis
Your brain, inflamed and uninvited, rsvp'ing no to normal function.
means Inflammation of the brain, usually caused by a viral infection or an autoimmune reaction, that can disrupt thinking, movement, or consciousness.
from Built from Greek enkephalos, 'brain' (literally 'in the head,' from en- 'in' + kephalē 'head'), plus the medical suffix -itis, 'inflammation.' The -itis ending itself became standard in 19th-century medical Latin/Greek coinages for naming diseases by the body part they attack — the same pattern that gives us arthritis, tonsillitis, and appendicitis.
- literal meaning
- brain plus itis, inflammation, Greek for bad news
- usual suspects
- viruses like herpes, rabies, or your own immune system
- autoimmune twist
- anti-NMDA receptor type mistaken for psychiatric illness for years
- warning signs
- fever, confusion, seizures, personality changes within days