Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 June 2026
A 61-year-old woman presents to the emergency department, brought in by family, with concern that she has been getting progressively more confused over the past 3 months. She now rarely speaks and has developed “random jerking movements” in her arms and legs. They state that over the past week she has been looking at and talking to things that are not in the room, and rarely makes sense when she speaks. She has no known history of psychiatric illness, recent psychological stressors, drug or alcohol use, or seizures. She had an outpatient appointment with neurology; however, they brought her to the emergency department due to the rapid progression of symptoms, decreased appetite, new inability to get out of bed, and development of “twitches.
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