Neurology

Andrew McKeon, M.D., M.B., B.Ch., and Sean J. Pittock, M.D., neurologists and co-directors of the Mayo Clinic Neuroimmunology Laboratory in Rochester, Minnesota, answer questions about Mayo Clinic's new test.

For people with encephalitis, rapid treatment of their acute brain inflammation is critical for avoiding devastating physical and cognitive deficits. But appropriate treatment requires identifying the culprit causing the symptoms.

Mayo Clinic has launched a first-in-the-U.S. clinical test that will help patients who recently have been diagnosed with an inflammatory demyelinating disease but may be unsure of the exact disorder.

Greg Widseth was suddenly hit by a rare disease that prompted his immune system to attack his brain cells, resulting in as many as 60 seizures a day. Special blood and spinal fluid tests developed by Mayo Medical Laboratories confirmed that Widseth had antibodies known to target certain brain cells.