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Cerebral Infectious Diseases

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Clinical Electroencephalography

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Abstract

This chapter describes EEG abnormalities in infectious diseases of the central nervous system. Meningitis, encephalitis and meningoencephalitis of bacterial, viral, parasitic, or mycotic origin are conditions in which EEG represents an important diagnostic tool, especially in emergency, sometimes showing specific patterns. EEG features may indeed range from normal activity to diffuse or lateralized abnormalities and also present epileptiform discharges.

Herpes Virus Encephalitis (HVE) and Subacute Sclerosing Pan Encephalitis (SSPE) are the ones showing the most specific EEG abnormalities. Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) is a prion encephalitis and, due to its characteristic and diagnostic EEG features, is treated separately and more extensively.

Finally, EEG abnormalities in bacterial abscesses and other infectious disorders will also be described, although these are often non-specific.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Chiara Davassi & Oriano Mecarelli

  2. Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, Italy

    Patrizia Pulitano

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  1. Chiara Davassi
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  2. Patrizia Pulitano
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  3. Oriano Mecarelli
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Correspondence to Oriano Mecarelli .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Oriano Mecarelli

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Davassi, C., Pulitano, P., Mecarelli, O. (2019). Cerebral Infectious Diseases. In: Mecarelli, O. (eds) Clinical Electroencephalography. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04573-9_39

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04573-9_39

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-04572-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-04573-9

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