Effects of Induced Hyperthermia on Some Neurological Diseases

Several authors have reported that induced hyperthermia causes the development of neurological changes in patients with multiple sclerosis. Collins 1 reported that one patient developed flaccid paralysis of all extermities and anesthesia below T-12 while receiving fever therapy. Others of his patients developed an intensification of nystagmus. Guthrie 2 performed hot-water immersion studies on patients with multiple sclerosis and found that they experienced weakness, dysarthria, diminished visual acuity, and scotomata when they were totally or partially immersed. These signs would also appear when only one extremity was immersed, and their appearance could be prevented by applying an arterial tourniquet to the immersed extremity. Edmund and Fog 3 exposed 45 patients with multiple sclerosis to an air temperature of 131-149 F, and confirmed Guthrie's observations concerning weakness and diminished visual acuity. Although they were unable to observe the development of a central scotoma, they did observe exacerbations of nystagmus and changes