10 Common Brain Diseases

2. Encephalitis

Where meningitis is the inflammation of the membranes that line the skull, Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain itself. The brain tissue becomes inflamed as the result of the body fighting off a viral infection, or sometimes the immune system will attack the brain tissue by mistake. This condition is acute and requires immediate medical attention. After experiencing some fever and headache, further increasing symptoms include seizures and loss of consciousness, drowsiness, and confusion. It can also lead to a coma. Direct infection of the spinal cord and brain is known as primary encephalitis, and an infection that started elsewhere and spread to the brain is known as secondary encephalitis.