Lyme Science Blog

Muscle Weakness and Constipation—But Tests Are Normal? Quick Answer: Muscle weakness and constipation in Lyme disease may be caused by neurologic and autonomic nervous system dysfunction—even when imaging and gastrointestinal tests are normal. This is a classic Lyme disease pattern: real symptoms—but normal tests. Why this matters: When muscle weakness and constipation occur together, they […]

How does Lyme disease affect the brain? Marvel and colleagues administered working memory tests to 12 subjects with Post Treatment Lyme disease (PTLD) and 18 healthy controls while undergoing functional MRI (fMRI). Investigators aimed to determine, using multimodal neuroimaging methods, how Lyme disease may affect the brain. A fMRI looks at the function of the

Lyme disease causes diaphragm paralysis, resulting in breathing problems According to the authors, diaphragm paralysis as a complication of Lyme disease was first reported in 1986. Since then, there have only been 4 cases involving bilateral paralysis of the diaphragm, which can cause breathing problems in patients.  “… the presented case will be the fifth

Lyme-induced cardiac problems persist despite antibiotic treatment The young woman was admitted to the emergency department with acute pleuritic chest pain and shortness of breath. (Pleuritic chest pain is characterized by sudden and intense sharp, stabbing, or burning pain in the chest when inhaling and exhaling.) The woman exhibited only mild tachycardia (100/min). However, “Considering

Case report: Meningitis secondary to Lyme disease Lyme disease aseptic meningitis can present as normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) with dementia, confusion, and gait disturbance — leading doctors to miss the underlying infection. An 80-year-old man in Pennsylvania developed progressive weakness, confusion, nausea, and fatigue over several days. CSF studies showed aseptic meningitis, CT scan revealed

Borrelia antibodies found in patients with coronary heart disease How many patients who underwent surgery for coronary heart disease (CHD) had evidence of a prior infection with Borrelia burgdorferi (the bacterium which causes Lyme disease)? A study by Pietruszka and colleagues, “Serologic Status of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in Patients with Cardiovascular Changes,” sought to

Can Lyme Disease Trigger Autoimmune Disease Like Lupus? Lyme disease may trigger autoimmune disease in some patients, including conditions such as lupus. In rare cases, infection with Borrelia burgdorferi may contribute to immune dysregulation and the development of new autoimmune symptoms. Can Lyme Disease Trigger Autoimmune Disease? In their article “Lyme Borreliosis as a Trigger

Young adults most at-risk for Lyme carditis Young adults and Lyme carditis represent a critical connection that clinicians often miss. Males aged 20-40 are at highest risk for developing complete heart block from Lyme disease, yet their cardiac symptoms are frequently dismissed as anxiety or stress. Understanding this demographic pattern can prevent diagnostic delays and

Vision problems in patient with Lyme disease and giant cell arteritis In their article “Through the Eyes of Uncertainty: Giant Cell Arteritis and Lyme Neuroborreliosis in a Story of Vision Loss,” Wan and colleagues describe a unique case in which an elderly woman, who tested positive for both giant cell arteritis and Lyme disease, developed

Inside look at Lyme disease in Canada Murison and colleagues discuss the findings in their report “Epidemiology and clinical manifestations of reported Lyme disease cases: Data from the Canadian Lyme disease enhanced surveillance system.”¹ “The results from this analysis describe the clinical manifestations associated with Canadian [Lyme disease] cases from the LDES system and show