Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026
07:50
A Metadata Extraction Approach for Clinical Case Reports to Enable Advanced Understanding of Biomedical Concepts
Published on: September 20, 2018
Cognitive and emotional changes in neurobrucellosis
Sebnem Eren1, Göksel Bayam, Onder Ergönül
1The First Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Clinic, Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, Talatpasa bulvari, Sihhiye, 06230, Ankara, Turkey. sebnemeren@yahoo.com
The Journal of Infection
|May 2, 2006
Summary
Neurobrucellosis patients experience cognitive and emotional changes. Antibiotic therapy significantly improves these symptoms, without the need for additional psychiatric medications.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Neurobrucellosis is a serious complication of Brucella infection affecting the central nervous system.
- Cognitive and emotional disturbances are reported in neurobrucellosis patients, but their extent and response to treatment require further documentation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and quantify the cognitive and emotional changes in patients diagnosed with neurobrucellosis.
- To assess the impact of antibiotic therapy on these neurological and psychological symptoms.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 34 neurobrucellosis patients and 30 controls with non-neurologic brucellosis.
- Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and emotional status using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS).
- Patients were evaluated before and at one and two weeks after initiating antibiotic therapy.
Main Results:
- Neurobrucellosis patients exhibited significantly lower MMSE scores and higher HDRS scores at baseline compared to controls (implied).
- Following antibiotic therapy, MMSE scores significantly improved (p<0.001), and HDRS scores significantly decreased (p<0.001).
- Improvements in cognitive and emotional status were observed within two weeks of antibiotic treatment.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive impairment and emotional disturbances are significant manifestations of neurobrucellosis.
- Standard antibiotic therapy is effective in improving cognitive and emotional symptoms associated with neurobrucellosis.
- Adjunctive anti-depressive or anti-psychotic therapies are not necessary for managing these specific neurobrucellosis-related symptoms.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Arboviral Encephalitis
Arboviral encephalitis refers to brain inflammation caused by arthropod-borne viruses, particularly those transmitted through mosquito vectors. Among these, West Nile virus (WNV), a member of the Flaviviridae family, is a significant public health concern. WNV is an enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus. Human infection typically begins when an infected mosquito introduces the virus into the dermis during feeding. The primary transmission cycle involves birds as amplifying hosts...
01:27Cryptococcal Meningitis
Cryptococcal meningitis is a life-threatening opportunistic infection predominantly associated with HIV/AIDS, accounting for over 100,000 deaths annually worldwide. However, it also affects individuals with other forms of immunosuppression, including those undergoing immunosuppressive therapy, organ transplant recipients, patients with innate immunodeficiencies, and individuals with hematological disorders. The infection is caused mainly by Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii,...
01:19Multiple Sclerosis l: Introduction
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that affects the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. It is an inflammatory demyelinating disorder and a leading cause of neurological disability in young adults.EpidemiologyMS commonly begins between 20 and 40 years of age and is twice as common in women. Its exact cause remains unclear, but genetic susceptibility contributes, with higher risk in first-degree relatives and identical twins. A greater...
01:19Encephalitis l: Introduction
Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain parenchyma, most often due to infections or autoimmune processes. It presents with neuropsychiatric features such as fever, altered mental status, behavioral changes, cognitive dysfunction, seizures, focal deficits, and sometimes autonomic instability. In some cases, the meninges are also involved, resulting in meningoencephalitis.Infectious CausesInfectious encephalitis is most commonly viral but can also result from bacterial, fungal, or parasitic...
01:26Encephalitis ll: Pathophysiology
Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain parenchyma caused by direct viral invasion or immune-mediated mechanisms triggered by infections or tumors. Both processes lead to neuronal injury, disrupted neurotransmission, and diverse neurological symptoms, often with overlapping clinical and pathological features.Autoimmune EncephalitisIn autoimmune encephalitis, antibodies target neuronal antigens on cell surfaces, synapses, or within neurons. A key example is anti-NMDAR encephalitis, which can...