The Contribution of Virologic Research to Clinical Neurology

OVER the past 15 years research in virology has produced the first curative therapy for acute encephalitis, established a viral cause for five chronic neurologic diseases, and suggested a possible viral origin for a wide spectrum of other neurologic disorders.¹ This progress has instilled new optimism in the field of neurology and has brought some future research needs into focus. Acute Neurologic Diseases Herpes Simplex Virus Encephalitis Until recently the treatment of patients with acute viral encephalitis consisted only of excluding the possibility of a nonviral, treatable cause of the disease and instituting supportive care. The introduction of vidarabine, the.