Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis in Older Adulthood

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a devastating brain disorder that typically affects children and adolescents. SSPE is caused by persistent measles virus infection. The mechanisms that facilitate the measles virus entering the brain, and persisting and proliferating there for very long periods are not precisely known. Once inside the brain, the measles viral genome undergoes a series of mutations, particularly in the M and F protein genes. These mutations are considered responsible for viral persistence and transneuronal spread inside the brain. Measles viral genome isolated from human brain tissues demonstrates clustered mutations in the virus genome, particularly in the M gene. These mutations destroy the structure and functioning of the encoded proteins. Complete infectious virus particle has rarely been demonstrated in the brain tissue.1 In the brain, the mutated measles virus triggers an intense inflammatory reaction that leads neuron destruction