Types of conditions

• Demyelinating Diseases: A demyelinating (dee-my-uh-luh-nay-ting) disease is a condition that causes damage to the protective covering that surrounds nerve fibers in your brain, the nerves leading to the eyes (optic nerves) and your spinal cord. Nerves send electrical signals that help you feel sensations such as touch, taste, see and feel. They also help with movement.  When nerve fibers are damaged, these signals slow down or even stop, causing neurological problems.

• Multiple Sclerosis (MS): The most common demyelinating disease. Signs and symptoms can vary, but may include movement or vision problems, tingling or body pain, and bowel and bladder dysfunction.

• Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM): A rare neurological condition that typically follows a viral infection. Signs and symptoms may include trouble swallowing, weakness in the arms and legs, confusion, drowsiness or even coma. 

• Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders (NMOSD): A rare neurological condition that often affects the optic nerves (responsible for transmitting visual information) and spinal cord (runs in the center of your spine). Signs and symptoms are wide but there is a spectrum of neurologic, ophthalmic, systemic, and psychiatric features. 

• Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein-Associated Disorders (MOGAD): Is a relatively new disease in the field of neuroimmunology and the diagnosis and treatment are still emerging. Symptoms can overlap between MS, ADEM and NMOSD. Patients are treated similarly as in other demyelinating syndromes. 

• Pediatric Acquired Demyelinating Diseases: This is an umbrella term and represents a myriad of demyelinating diseases that occur in childhood. This includes and is not limited to certain conditions such as MS, ADEM, NMOSD, MOGAD, vitamin deficiencies, optic neuritis (attack of the optic nerves) and transverse myelitis (attack of the spinal cord). 

• Autoimmune Encephalitis: Group of conditions that occur when our body’s immune system creates antibodies that mistakenly attack our healthy brain cells causing inflammation to the brain. It generally occurs sporadically and in some cases it can occur with cancer (known as paraneoplastic syndrome). Symptoms include impaired memory and cognition, abnormal movements, seizures, and problems with walking, balance, speech, and vision. Types of autoimmune encephalitis includes Anti-NMDAR receptor encephalitis, Hashimoto’s encephalopathy, LG11/CASPR2-antibody encephalitis, Limbic encephalitis and Rasmussen’s encephalitis.

• Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO): Is a disorder that mainly affects the eye nerves and spinal cord. It sometimes occurs after an infection, and can often be misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis. Neuromyelitis optica can cause blindness, weakness or paralysis in the legs or arms, painful spasms, loss of sensation, uncontrollable vomiting and hiccups, and bladder or bowel dysfunction from spinal cord damage.

• Myasthenia Gravis: Myasthenia gravis is caused by a breakdown in the normal communication between your nerves and muscles. It’s characterized by weakness and rapid fatigue of any of the muscles under your voluntary control. There's no cure for myasthenia gravis, but treatment can help relieve symptoms, which can include weakness of arm or leg muscles, double vision, drooping eyelids and difficulty with speech, chewing, swallowing and breathing.

• Other conditions: There are other conditions that fall under the umbrella of neuroimmunology that are not considered demyelinating diseases.