Brain On Fire

There have been many cases of people who are diagnosed with Brain on Fire, which is anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis.  This rare autoimmune disease attacks the brain causing the patient experience numbness, paranoia, sensitivity to light and erratic behavior.  As the auto-immune disease advances you experience seizures, hallucinations, and catatonia, which causes extreme loss of motor skills.  Brain On Fire has the same characteristics as if they were possessed by the devil.  Some of these characteristics are loud unnatural sounding grounds that sound demonic.  The exact epitope to which these antibodies bind is unknown.  Outcomes are improved with early diagnosis via indirect immunofluorescence or cell-based assays, and the rapid and appropriate administration of immunosuppressant and anti-psychotic therapies.

 In Susannah Cahalan memoir, she describes that she slurred her words, held her arms out in a rigid manner, and thought demonic things.  The way she was diagnosed with this disease was her doctor asked her to draw a clock on a piece of paper.  She drew the numbers 1 through twelve all on the right side of the clock.  This told the doctor that she was experiencing left-side spatial neglect and, likely, the right side of her brain responsible for the left field of vision was inflamed. 

Susannah Cahalan wrote a book called Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness.