Definition

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an inflammation of the covering that surrounds nerve cells of the brain and spinal cord. The basis of the inflammation is not conclusively known, but is generally considered to arise from a malfunctioning immune system that recognizes host tissues as being foreign. The inflammation reaction damages the nerves of the brain and spinal cord, producing weakness in the muscles, loss of sensation (such as the sense of touch in the fingers), or outright paralysis.

GBS is termed a syndrome rather than a disease because there is no conclusive evidence to support the possibility that a specific disease-causing agent such as a bacteria or a virus is the direct cause of the malady. Infections may be a trigger to the development of GBS, however.

Description

The syndrome is named after George Charles Guillen and Jean-Alexandre Barré, French co-authors of a classic paper on...