(Glycine Encephalopathy; Hepatic Encephalopathy; Hypoxic Encephalopathy; Statin Encephalopathy; Uremic Encephalopathy; Wernicke’s Encephalopathy; Hashimoto’s Encephalopathy; Hypertensive Encephalopathy; Toxic-metabolic Encephalopathy)
- Head trauma
- Metabolic dysfunction—causes an imbalance in nutrients and electrolytes the brain needs to function
- Brain tumor or increased pressure on the skull
- Exposure to toxins
- Poor nutrition—causes an imbalance in nutrients and electrolytes the brain needs to function
- No oxygen or blood flow to the brain
- Organ failure
|Oxygen and Blood Flow to the Brain|
|If the flow of oxygen to the brain is disrupted, it can cause encephalopathy.|
|Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.|
- Sudden or progressive changes in memory
- Inability to concentrate
- Impaired thinking
- Abnormal drowsiness
- Mood changes
- Progressive loss of consciousness
- Subtle personality changes
- Involuntary muscle twitches and flapping movements
- Muscle weakness and unsteadiness
- Abnormal eye movements
- Severe confusion
- Severe drowsiness
- Medications—to treat infections, manage related conditions like high blood pressure, remove toxins, and replace missing or low levels of vitamins or nutrients
- Dietary changes—to improve nutrition or manage underlying condition
- Dialysis—to clear harmful substances, like toxins, out of the blood
- Organ transplant
- Get early treatment for liver problems. If you have any of the above symptoms, call your doctor right away.
- If you have a disease, see your doctor regularly.
- Avoid overdosing on drugs, alcohol, or medicines.
- Avoid being exposed to poisons or toxins and infections or carriers of infections, such as mosquitoes.
National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke http://www.ninds.nih.gov/
Canadian Liver Foundation http://www.liver.ca/
Health Canada http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/index-eng.php
Encephalopathy. California Pacific Medical Center website. Available at: http://www.cpmc.org/learning/documents/encephalopathy-ws.pdf. Updated May 2004. Accessed May 26, 2011.
Encephalopathy. Congress of Neurological Surgeons website. Available at: http://wiki.cns.org/wiki/index.php/Encephalopath. Updated July 2007. Accessed May 26, 2011.
NINDS encephalopathy page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website. Available at: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/encephalopathy/encephalopathy.htm. Accessed October 23, 2014.
- Reviewer: Michael Woods, MD
- Review Date: 10/2014 -
- Update Date: 10/24/2014 -
This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.
Copyright © EBSCO Publishing
All rights reserved.