Dementia following herpes zoster encephalitis.
We studied the rare case of an older adult with dementia following herpes zoster encephalitis (HZE). This 71-year-old woman presented to us approximately 1 year following resolution of a rapid-onset episode of HZE, and subsequently underwent neuropsychological and neuroimaging examinations. Cognitive assessment revealed impairments in general cognitive functioning, verbal and nonverbal memory, executive functions, speed of information processing, attention/working memory, and motor skills. The patient's neuroimaging data, when compared to a demographically similar healthy control sample (n = 9), demonstrated moderate central and perisylvian brain volume loss, several subcortical lesions in the white matter, and resting state whole brain and hippocampal hypoperfusion. These findings highlight neuropsychological changes evident in a dementia syndrome of this type, and they suggest that early identification and treatment of HZE has implications for the preservation of long-term cognitive functioning.
Bangen
Katherine J
KJ
San Diego State University/University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Delano-Wood
Lisa
L
Wierenga
Christina E
CE
Stricker
Nikki H
NH
Hesselink
John R
JR
Bondi
Mark W
MW
D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D003704:Dementia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000821:virology; D020804:Encephalitis, Varicella Zoster / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011859:Radiography