encephalopathy

noun en·ceph·a·lop·a·thy \ in-ˌse-fə-ˈlä-pə-thē \

Definition of encephalopathy

plural encephalopathies

: a disease of the brain; especially : one involving alterations of brain structure

—

encephalopathic

play \in-ˌse-fə-lə-ˈpa-thik\ adjective

Recent Examples of encephalopathy from the Web

The cause was acute encephalopathy as a result of dementia, said a daughter, Nancy Skinner.

— Washington Post, "The story must be told.," 24 Feb. 2018
Among his illnesses, Schmitz had a history of encephalopathy — progressive loss of memory and cognitive ability — and was unable to care for himself, according to a medical examiner's report.

— jesse garza, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Man struck, killed after walking away from assisted living group home," 22 Feb. 2018
She was deprived of oxygen in the womb or at birth, resulting in developmental delays and motor impairment associated with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.

— carrie blackmore smith, Cincinnati.com, "Enquirer Wish List: How to help 2-year-old Rhylinn Raven cope with cerebral palsy," 18 Dec. 2017
And Jamieson said researchers have since discovered why the patients developed Wernicke's encephalopathy, a result of vitamin B1 deficiency.

— bradley j. fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Abandoned blood cancer drug resurrected by San Diego startup," 13 Oct. 2017
But reports of a dangerous form of brain swelling called Wernicke's encephalopathy caused the U.S. Food and Drug Administration put a hold on further development.

— bradley j. fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Abandoned blood cancer drug resurrected by San Diego startup," 13 Oct. 2017
The medical diagnosis is anoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

— gina kolata, New York Times, "Otto Warmbier Suffered Extensive Brain Damage, Coroner Confirms," 28 Sep. 2017
Last year, lower respiratory infections, neonatal preterm birth complications and neonatal encephalopathy due to birth asphyxia and trauma were the most common causes of fatality for children under 5.

— susan scutti, CNN, "People are living longer, but violent deaths are on the rise," 14 Sep. 2017
Just two days before Urschel retired, a study on traumatic encephalopathy, a debilitating brain disease, was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

— jonas shaffer, baltimoresun.com, "For ex-Raven John Urschel, NFL retirement felt more like a change in careers," 7 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'encephalopathy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of encephalopathy

1866

in the meaning defined above

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Medical Dictionary

encephalopathy

noun en·ceph·a·lop·a·thy \ in-ˌsef-ə-ˈläp-ə-thē \

medical Definition of encephalopathy

plural encephalopathies

: a disease of the brain; especially : one involving alterations of brain structure

—

encephalopathic

play \-lə-ˈpath-ik\ adjective

Learn More about encephalopathy

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about encephalopathy

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encephalopathy

Definition of encephalopathy

encephalopathic

Recent Examples of encephalopathy from the Web

First Known Use of encephalopathy

Medical Dictionary

encephalopathy

medical Definition of encephalopathy

encephalopathic

Learn More about encephalopathy

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encephalopathy

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encephalopathic

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