Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Prescription, Nonprescription and Orphan Drugs01:02

Prescription, Nonprescription and Orphan Drugs

1.3K
Prescription drugs require a prescription from a medical practitioner and can only be obtained from a pharmacy. They have many applications, including treating pain, anxiety, and hypertension.
The misuse and addiction to prescription drugs is a growing problem that can affect people of all age groups, specifically teenagers. This can happen when prescription medications are used in ways not intended by the prescriber, such as taking someone else's prescription or using medication for...
1.3K
Toxic Reactions: Overview01:26

Toxic Reactions: Overview

2.0K
When toxic substances penetrate the human body, they disseminate to various tissues, undergoing metabolic changes. This process yields reactive metabolites that may covalently bind with specific target molecules, resulting in toxicity.
Toxicity falls into two primary categories: local and systemic.
Local toxicity appears at the exposure site, such as protein denaturation caused by caustic substances.
In contrast, systemic toxicity requires the toxic agent's absorption and distribution,...
2.0K
Comparative Excretory Systems02:24

Comparative Excretory Systems

26.6K
Animals have evolved different strategies for excretion, the removal of waste from the body. Most waste must be dissolved in water to be excreted, so an animal’s excretory strategy directly affects its water balance.
26.6K
Predator-Prey Interactions02:39

Predator-Prey Interactions

21.6K
Predators consume prey for energy. Predators that acquire prey and prey that avoid predation both increase their chances of survival and reproduction (i.e., fitness). Routine predator-prey interactions elicit mutual adaptations that improve predator offenses, such as claws, teeth, and speed, as well as prey defenses, including crypsis, aposematism, and mimicry. Thus, predator-prey interactions resemble an evolutionary arms race.
21.6K
The Availability Heuristic01:08

The Availability Heuristic

7.0K
A heuristic is a general problem-solving framework (Tversky & Kahneman, 1974). You can think of these as mental shortcuts that are used to solve problems. Different types of heuristics are used in different types of situations, and the impulse to use a heuristic occurs when one of five conditions is met (Pratkanis, 1989):
7.0K
Social Traps01:41

Social Traps

26.9K
Social traps are negative situations where people get caught in a direction or relationship that later proves to be unpleasant, with no easy way to back out of or avoid. The concept was orignally introduced by John Platt who applied psychology to Garrett Hardin's "Tragedy of the Commons", where in New England herd owners could let their cattle graze in the common ground. This situation seems like a good idea, but an individual could have an advantage. If they owned...
26.9K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Prevalence, Characteristics, and Outcomes Associated With Early Vasculopathy in Patients With Chronic Lung Disease Undergoing Right Heart Catheterization.

Pulmonary circulation·2026
Same author

Finerenone Across Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Syndrome Stages: Post Hoc Analysis of the FIDELITY Randomized Clinical Trials.

JAMA cardiology·2026
Same author

Hemodynamic Profile and Clinical Outcomes of Low- and High-Cardiometabolic Phenotypes in COPD: A Cluster Analysis.

Chest·2026
Same author

Cardiovascular Outcomes and Acute Kidney Injury Risk with Combination Therapies in Type 2 Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease.

Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation : official publication of the European Dialysis and Transplant Association - European Renal Association·2026
Same author

Comparative Value of Echocardiography vs. Right Heart Catheterization in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction.

Echocardiography (Mount Kisco, N.Y.)·2025
Same author

Denosumab and Cardiovascular Risk in Dialysis Patients With Osteoporosis: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Journal of clinical rheumatology : practical reports on rheumatic & musculoskeletal diseases·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 4, 2026

Measuring RAN Peptide Toxicity in C. elegans
10:49

Measuring RAN Peptide Toxicity in C. elegans

Published on: April 30, 2020

7.1K

When a Seemingly Harmless Prescription Turns into Toxicity.

Zurab Azmaiparashvili1, Kevin Bryan Lo1, Nawal Habib1

  • 1Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Case Reports in Medicine
|October 12, 2018
PubMed
Summary

Valacyclovir neurotoxicity can mimic other conditions, especially in older adults. Prompt supportive care led to full recovery in a patient with altered mental status after a herpes zoster outbreak.

More Related Videos

Growth Assays to Assess Polyglutamine Toxicity in Yeast
09:06

Growth Assays to Assess Polyglutamine Toxicity in Yeast

Published on: March 5, 2012

14.0K
Protocols for Testing the Toxicity of Novel Insecticidal Chemistries to Mosquitoes
09:32

Protocols for Testing the Toxicity of Novel Insecticidal Chemistries to Mosquitoes

Published on: February 13, 2019

16.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 4, 2026

Measuring RAN Peptide Toxicity in C. elegans
10:49

Measuring RAN Peptide Toxicity in C. elegans

Published on: April 30, 2020

7.1K
Growth Assays to Assess Polyglutamine Toxicity in Yeast
09:06

Growth Assays to Assess Polyglutamine Toxicity in Yeast

Published on: March 5, 2012

14.0K
Protocols for Testing the Toxicity of Novel Insecticidal Chemistries to Mosquitoes
09:32

Protocols for Testing the Toxicity of Novel Insecticidal Chemistries to Mosquitoes

Published on: February 13, 2019

16.3K

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Pharmacology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Valacyclovir neurotoxicity is a recognized adverse effect, particularly in elderly patients and those with renal impairment.
  • Distinguishing valacyclovir-induced neurotoxicity from other neurological conditions, such as herpes zoster encephalitis, can be diagnostically challenging.
  • Altered mental status is a common presentation for neurotoxicity and encephalitis.

Observation:

  • A 71-year-old male presented with acute confusion and cognitive decline following a recent herpes zoster eruption.
  • The patient's symptoms developed in the context of valacyclovir treatment for herpes zoster.
  • Initial diagnostic workup was extensive to rule out infectious or other neurological causes.

Findings:

  • The patient's clinical presentation was ultimately attributed to valacyclovir neurotoxicity.
  • Cessation of valacyclovir and initiation of supportive care resulted in a complete resolution of neurological symptoms.
  • Cognitive function returned to baseline levels following intervention.

Implications:

  • This case highlights the importance of considering drug-induced neurotoxicity in the differential diagnosis of altered mental status in susceptible populations.
  • Early recognition and management of valacyclovir neurotoxicity can prevent prolonged morbidity.
  • Awareness among clinicians is crucial for appropriate patient management and avoiding misdiagnosis.