Frozen for 40 Years - The Encephalitis Lethargica Mystery · S1 E04

Medical Enigmas

New Episode

20261 season

A circle, twelve numbers, and two hands on a clock expose what months of tests failed to explain.

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About Medical Enigmas

Medical Enigmas reconstructs the clinical cases in which one overlooked clue changed the diagnosis, the treatment, and the future of a patient.

Season 1

4 episodes

Episode 0125 minThe Clock Test: Brain on FireA simple drawing reveals the neurological clue that changed Susannah Cahalan's diagnosis and her life.

Episode 0222 minRadioactive GirlsYoung dial painters fall mysteriously ill after years of working with luminous radium paint.

Episode 0320 minThe Woman Who Was Never Sick

Episode 0422 minFrozen for 40 Years - The Encephalitis Lethargica MysteryExplore the remarkable story of patients frozen in a state of immobility for decades due to encephalitis lethargica, and their surprising partial recovery with L-dopa treatment. This episode reveals the mystery behind the disease, its devastating effects, and the awakening that shook a Bronx hospital in 1969.