Dr. Henry writes about Polio Encelphalitis

Most of the information I have learned in regard to this topic is from the medical literature in the late 40's and early 50's. Also the articles written by Dr. Bruno, which can be referenced on his Polio Harvest web page and also on the Lincolnshire web page, are very complete in explaining the probable relationship between post polio central or brain fatigue as related to the original polio encephalitis at the time of the orginal infection.

Many of the posters on this list have mentioned being in comas for a few days, having double vision, breathing and swallowing difficulties, etc with the original infection. Most of us had headaches and tender necks (meningeal irritation) and these symptoms would be compatible with an encephalitis at the time of the original infection. In regard to PPS brain fatigue, many of us have word finding problems, concentration problems, and mental focusing problems when our brains are fatigued. I believe it is true that there have been some findings of highlighting of certain brain areas on MRI's of patients with mental signs of central or brain fatigue. Hopefully, some of these mysteries will be unraveled in the next several years. I have noticed several individuals on this list complain of some visual problems when they are fatigued. It seems possible that the cranial nerves controlling vision or eye muscle movement or vision areas of the brain may have been affected by the original infection and now are being affected by PPS. Some have complained of double vision and difficulty focusing, possibly related to PPS.

The involvement of the brain in the original infection and the effects of brain fatigue as a part of PPS is a personal interest of mine and I am hopeful that Dr. Bruno will come up with some answers with his research in this area.

Rest your brains as well as your bodies, it helps.

Henry Holland, Richmond., Virginia, USA. Henry4FDR@aol.com

1st April 1997

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