Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 20, 2026

SECONDs Administration Guidelines: A Fast Tool to Assess Consciousness in Brain-injured Patients
Published on: February 6, 2021
A patient with an acute confusional state
Graham Baker1, Maurice Jackson, Sanjay Vydianath
1Department of Medicine, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Wolverhampton, UK. grahambaker@doctors.org.uk
Abstract:
A 49-year-old male presented in an acutely confused state. His examination and basic blood tests were unremarkable. He was started on intravenous aciclovir and an MRI brain scan showed changes consistent with limbic encephalitis. Serum antibodies including para-neoplastic auto-antibodies and cerebrospinal fluid studies were arranged along with a full body CT scan to look for malignancy. All antibody tests returned negative and the CT scan ruled out the presence of malignancy. The patient improved following treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin and was discharged. Follow-up imaging showed significant radiological improvement. He has been able to return to work and repeat CT scans have failed to find evidence of malignancy. A rare and treatable cause for his illness was found. It is worth considering limbic encephalitis when facing a confused patient especially in the young and middle-aged population.
Related Concept Videos
Acute Respiratory Failure-IV
Hepatic Encephalopathy
Traumatic Brain Injury l: Introduction
Dissociative Amnesia
Amnesia
The severity and duration of memory loss vary depending on the type and underlying cause. Amnesia is classified into two main types: retrograde and anterograde.
Retrograde amnesia is marked by the loss of memories formed before the onset of the condition. Patients may recall distant past events but often forget those occurring shortly before the incident.
Anterograde...
Dissociative Disorders
Dissociative Fugue
A hallmark feature of dissociative disorders is the dissociative fugue...
![Semi-quantitative Assessment Using [18F]FDG Tracer in Patients with Severe Brain Injury](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcloudfront.jove.com%2FCDNSource%2Fteasers%2F58641.jpg&w=3840&q=50)
