Encephalopathy (/ɛnˌsɛfəˈlɒpəθi/; from Ancient Greek ἐγκέφαλος (enképhalos) 'brain' and πάθος (páthos) 'suffering') means any disorder or disease of the brain, especially chronic degenerative conditions.
[7] Depending on the type and severity of encephalopathy, common neurological symptoms are loss of cognitive function, subtle personality changes, and an inability to concentrate.
[6] Other neurological signs may include involuntary grasping and sucking motions, nystagmus (rapid, involuntary eye movement), jactitation (restlessness while in bed),[citation needed] and respiratory abnormalities such as Cheyne-Stokes respiration (cyclic waxing and waning of tidal volume), apneustic respirations and post-hypercapnic apnea.
It can cause paranoid and grandiose delusions, agitation, hallucinations (visual and auditory), bizarre behavior, fear, short-term memory loss, and confusion.
[10] When the encephalopathy is caused by untreated celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, the gluten-free diet stops the progression of brain damage and improves the headaches.
[citation needed] Encephalopathy is a difficult term because it can be used to denote either a disease or finding (i.e., an observable sign in a person).
The individual findings that cause a clinician to refer to a person as having encephalopathy include intellectual disability, irritability, agitation, delirium, confusion, somnolence, stupor, coma and psychosis.