• Question: What is the worst disease/virus that affects the brain and what does it do?

    Asked by lizziemegran to Damien, Rachael, Simon, Suzi, Tim on 16 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Suzi Gage

      Suzi Gage answered on 14 Jun 2011:

      Hi @lizziemegran
      Thanks for the question. There is an illness called Encephalitis. This is a swelling of the brain, which is caused by a virus in the brain. The viruses the affect the brain are the same viruses that cause other problems, like measles, chicken pox, or rubella. But they have really nasty effects if they get in to the brain and cause it to swell.
      It can start off with a headache or a fever, nausea, sometimes a sensitivity to bright lights, and if it gets really bad it can lead to epileptic seizures, or in really severe cases a coma.

      Hope that answers your question.

    • Photo: Damien Hall

      Damien Hall answered on 16 Jun 2011:

      I’ll leave the medical side of this one for the medical scientists and the people who work with the brain itself, but, as far as the effects are concerned, I think the worst brain disease is Alzheimer’s. the reason why I think it is so bad is that it affects people at random (apparently), there is no cure (not yet), and all you can do, often, is watch something which is like someone’s mind and personality being erased. I have never known anyone with Alzheimer’s, but it must be horrible for them and for their loved ones too.

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