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Medical Author:

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

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Medical Editor:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Encephalopathy describes abnormal brain function due to problems with the brain tissue. Symptoms of encephalopathy can be generalized causing decreased level of consciousness from minimal lethargy to coma. Encephalopathy can cause abnormal thought processes including confusion, poor memory, hallucinations, and even psychotic thinking.

The symptoms may be evident because the parts of the body that the brain controls may not work appropriately. There may be incoordination and difficulty walking (ataxia) or there may be abnormalities with vision and eye movement. The encephalopathy may mimic stroke with weakness and numbness of one side of the body, including facial droop and speech problems. The abnormalities may not only affect motor function but also sensation. It all depends upon what part of the brain is not functioning.

In some patients, the encephalopathy is so profound that it affects basic brain functions that control wakefulness, breathing, heartbeat, and temperature.

The symptoms depend on the basic cause of encephalopathy and the potential for reversal of the cause. Symptoms may be present and remain constant or they may wax and wane. The symptoms may present once and never recur or they can be progressive and lead to death. For example, low blood glucose (hypoglycemia) may be easily reversed with no brain damage, while profound anoxia may be partially reversible or result in disability or death.

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