Abstract
The Lyme disease controversy can be largely linked to the misconception that neurobehavioral effects of illness constitute evidence of nervous system infection. Appropriate differentiation between neuroborreliosis (nervous system Borrelia burgdorferi infection) and Lyme encephalopathy (altered nervous system function in individuals with systemic but not nervous system infection) - or encephalopathies of other etiologies - would lessen the controversy considerably, as the attribution of nonspecific symptoms to supposed ongoing central nervous system infection is a major factor perpetuating the debate. Epidemiologic considerations suggest that the entities referred to as "posttreatment Lyme disease" and "chronic Lyme disease" may not actually exist but rather reflect anchoring bias, linking common, nonspecific symptoms to an antecedent medical event. On the other hand, there are data suggesting possible mechanisms by which posttreatment Lyme disease could occur.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1267-1272 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Clinical Infectious Diseases |
| Volume | 58 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2014 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Microbiology (medical)
- Infectious Diseases
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Lyme disease : Neurology, Neurobiology, and Behavior. / Halperin, John J.
In: Clinical Infectious Diseases, Vol. 58, No. 9, 01.01.2014, p. 1267-1272.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Lyme disease
T2 - Neurology, Neurobiology, and Behavior
AU - Halperin, John J.
PY - 2014/1/1
Y1 - 2014/1/1
N2 - The Lyme disease controversy can be largely linked to the misconception that neurobehavioral effects of illness constitute evidence of nervous system infection. Appropriate differentiation between neuroborreliosis (nervous system Borrelia burgdorferi infection) and Lyme encephalopathy (altered nervous system function in individuals with systemic but not nervous system infection) - or encephalopathies of other etiologies - would lessen the controversy considerably, as the attribution of nonspecific symptoms to supposed ongoing central nervous system infection is a major factor perpetuating the debate. Epidemiologic considerations suggest that the entities referred to as "posttreatment Lyme disease" and "chronic Lyme disease" may not actually exist but rather reflect anchoring bias, linking common, nonspecific symptoms to an antecedent medical event. On the other hand, there are data suggesting possible mechanisms by which posttreatment Lyme disease could occur.
AB - The Lyme disease controversy can be largely linked to the misconception that neurobehavioral effects of illness constitute evidence of nervous system infection. Appropriate differentiation between neuroborreliosis (nervous system Borrelia burgdorferi infection) and Lyme encephalopathy (altered nervous system function in individuals with systemic but not nervous system infection) - or encephalopathies of other etiologies - would lessen the controversy considerably, as the attribution of nonspecific symptoms to supposed ongoing central nervous system infection is a major factor perpetuating the debate. Epidemiologic considerations suggest that the entities referred to as "posttreatment Lyme disease" and "chronic Lyme disease" may not actually exist but rather reflect anchoring bias, linking common, nonspecific symptoms to an antecedent medical event. On the other hand, there are data suggesting possible mechanisms by which posttreatment Lyme disease could occur.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84898879614&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84898879614&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/cid/ciu106
DO - 10.1093/cid/ciu106
M3 - Review article
C2 - 24571864
AN - SCOPUS:84898879614
VL - 58
SP - 1267
EP - 1272
JO - Clinical Infectious Diseases
JF - Clinical Infectious Diseases
SN - 1058-4838
IS - 9
ER -