Spinal meningitis, or bacterial meningitis, is a serious infection of the spinal fluid and protective tissues overlying the brain. The infection can damage the brain tissues, causing a variety of neurological effects. People who suffer brain damage from bacterial meningitis often develop multiple aftereffects. Early diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics and other medications can help decrease the likelihood of permanent neurological damage.
Seizure Disorder
A chronic seizure disorder, or epilepsy, may develop after bacterial meningitis. In a 2003 research study published in the journal "Brain," Drs. Stefan Kastenbauer and Hans-Walter Pfister report that approximately 28 percent of adult study patients with pneumococcal meningitis developed seizures. In a 2009 review article published by "BioMed Central Medicine," Dr. Meenakshi Ramakrishnan and colleagues report that the development of seizures among children with bacterial meningitis ranged from 7 to 19 percent.
Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is among the most common neurological deficits associated with bacterial meningitis. In a 2010 research study published in the "Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal," Dr. Karen Edmond and colleagues report that approximately 52 percent of study children with bacterial meningitis developed hearing loss as a consequence of the infection. Kastenbauer and Pfister report that nearly 20 percent of adult meningitis patients in their study also developed hearing loss. In a 2007 review of the relevant medical literature published by the "Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews," Dr. Diederik van de Beek and colleagues conclude that administration of corticosteroid medication reduced the risk of severe hearing loss among children with bacterial meningitis living in developed countries.
Vision Loss
Permanent visual impairment, including blindness, is a possible aftereffect of bacterial meningitis, reports MayoClinic.com. In their review article, Ramakrishnan and colleagues report that up to 11 percent of children with bacterial meningitis studied developed visual impairment or blindness.
Cognitive Deficits
Brain damage associated with bacterial meningitis can cause permanent cognitive deficits, or decreased intellectual capacity. Edmond and colleagues report that 40 percent of the children in their study developed permanent cognitive deficits. Ramakrishnan and colleagues note that up to 22 percent of children in their review exhibited a permanently decreased intellectual capacity. Variability in the incidence of intellectual deficits may be due to different types of bacteria causing the illness, the age of the child at the time of the infection, rapidity of initiation of treatment, type of treatment and individual characteristics of the children.
Motor Impairment
Brain damage caused by bacterial meningitis may cause partial or complete paralysis of certain parts of the body, similar to the motor losses that can occur with a stroke. Ramakrishnan and colleagues note that 1 to 27 percent of the children in the studies they reviewed developed motor impairment. Edmond and colleagues report that 21 percent of children in their study sustained brain damage that lead to motor losses.
References
- "Brain"; Pneumococcal Meningitis in Adults Spectrum of Complications and Prognostic Factors in a Series of 87 Cases; Stefan Kastenbauer, M.D., Hans-Walter Pfister, M.D.; 2003
- "BioMed Central Medicine"; Sequelae Due to Bacterial Meningitis Aamong African Children: A Systematic Literature Review; Meenakshi Ramakrishnan, M.D., et al.; September 2009
- "Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal"; Prospective Cohort Study of Disabling Sequelae and Quality of Life in Children With Bacterial Meningitis in Urban Senegal; Karen Edmond M.B.B.S., M.Sc., Ph.D., et al.; May 2010
- "Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews"; Corticosteroids for Acute Bacterial Meningitis; Diederik van de Beek, M.D., Ph.D., et al.; 2007
- "Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases, Sixth Edition"; Gerald L. Mandell, M.D., et al., (eds.); 2004
