Neuro Note 5: Brain on Fire

     For my final neuro note, I wanted to expand my knowledge on the diagnosis of encephalitis by watching the Netflix movie Brain on Fire, which is based on Susannah Cahalan's memoir Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness. She was an up and coming journalist at the New York Post when she suddenly began having unusual sensations and hallucinations. Susannah began to spiral and was misdiagnosed many times after experiencing multiple seizures, memory loss, and psychosis. For a solid month, Susannah regressed daily, but her family continued to fight for her and search for a correct diagnosis. With time of the essence and the last minute help of Dr. Najjar, his recommendation of a brain biopsy led to the conclusion that Susannah was suffering from anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis. This is an autoimmune disease where the body basically attacks the brain and in Dr. Najjar's words, "Her brain was on fire." Luckily, this can be treated with the right medications and over time, Susannah was transformed back into her old (or in this case, young) self.

     It is a gripping, eye-opening film and is a great way to learn about encephalitis because it shows the onset of symptoms, the progression of them, and the horrific impact they can have on an individual. In addition, it demonstrated left-side neglect, which was directly covered in my Neuro course. Later, Susannah discussed the darkness that comes with the diagnosis, saying that her grunts and sounds reminded her of demonic possession. If you are curious about encephalitis or Susannah Cahalan's story, I highly recommend watching the film, or better yet, reading her book of her descent into madness followed by her recovery.

Film Reference:

Barrett, G. (Director). (2016). Brain on fire [Film]. Netflix; Denver and Delilah Productions; Broad Green Pictures; Foundation Features; Blank Page Productions.