Neurological Lyme disease, also known as neuroborreliosis or Lyme neuroborreliosis, occurs when the bacteria that cause Lyme disease invade and affect the nervous system. This condition happens in around 15% of people with Lyme disease and can impact the central nervous system (CNS), including the brain and spinal cord, as well as the peripheral nervous system (PNS), which involves motor and sensory nerves.
Symptoms
Neurologic Lyme disease symptoms often appear weeks after the initial tick bite and can include:
- Radiculoneuritis: inflammation of motor and sensory spinal nerve roots, causing muscle weakness, paralysis, tingling, numbness, and sharp pain.
- Cranial neuritis: inflammation of cranial nerves affecting facial muscles (facial palsy), vision, hearing, taste, balance, and other functions.
- Lymphocytic/monocytic meningitis: a form of meningitis with headache, stiff neck, and sensitivity to light.
- Other symptoms may include difficulty concentrating, memory problems, sleep disorders, irritability, and nerve damage in limbs.
Causes and Transmission
The disease results from infection with Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria transmitted through an infected tick bite. It can cause chronic infection affecting joints and nervous system components.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Diagnosis can be challenging as symptoms overlap with other diseases, and there is no single gold standard test for neuroborreliosis. Early treatment with antibiotics that penetrate body tissues and spinal fluid is crucial and generally effective.
In summary, neurological Lyme disease is a serious manifestation of Lyme disease where bacterial infection affects the nervous system, causing a range of neurological symptoms requiring timely medical intervention.
