Table 3.

Initial diagnosis incorrect‐ consider “MIND” disorders: I = Infections/Immune/Inherited.

Condition	Clinical Clues	Additional Investigations
Infections
Enteroviruses −Poliovirus −EV‐D68 −EV‐71	Anterior horn cell involvement ‐> paralysis +/‐Brainstem encephalitis	RT‐PCR of cerebrospinal fluid
Flaviviruses −West Nile Virus −Japanese Encephalitis Virus −Tick‐Borne Encephalitis Virus −St.Louis Encephalitis Virus −Murray Valley Encephalitis Virus −Zika Virus −Dengue Virus	‐Anterior horn cell involvement ‐> asymmetric paralysis (except Zika virus, which produces classic GBS) ‐Encephalitis ‐Travel history important ++	Virus‐specific IgM and IgG antibodies
Lyssavirus −Paralytic Rabies	‐Prodromal pain in bitten limb ‐Early fasciculations ‐Rapidly progressive course	RT‐PCR of saliva Rabies antibodies in CSF or serum
HIV	‐GBS occurs early ‐CNS signs occur late	HIV p24 antigen, PCR viral load, ELISA or Western blot
Herpesviruses ‐CMV ‐VZV	CMV: −Significant immunosuppression −Painless visual loss (CMV retinitis) −Hepatitis −CMV radiculitis painful ++ and sphincter‐involving VZV: −Primary/Reactivation −+/‐Rash	Positive CSF PCR for CMV/VZV
Lyme	−Spinal and cranial neuritis +/‐ encephalitis (rare) −History of tick bite	CSF and serum Lyme ELISA +/‐ confirmatory Western blot
Other infections − Tuberculosis − Syphilis − Cryptococcus	−Polyradiculoneuropathies esp. in immunosuppressed	Serum +/‐ CSF testing for individual pathogens
Parasites: − Angiostrongylus Cantonensis − Gnathostoma Spinigerum	−Southeast Asia + Pacific −Consumption of snails, slugs (Angiostrongylus) or infected fish, seafood (Gnathostoma). −Painful radiculitis+/‐altered mentation −Dermatologic manifestations‐linear dermatitis, migratory panniculitis in Gnathostomiasis	Serum and CSF eosinophilia Specific diagnosis requires ELISA or immunoblot
Immune
Vasculitis	SLE: −skin (alopecia, oral ulcers, malar rash) −inflammatory arthritis −hematological (anemia, leucopenia, thrombocytopenia) −renal (proteinuria, renal failure) −serosal (pericarditis, pleuritis) EGPA: −asthma −sinusitis −systemic vasculitis	SLE: −+ve antiphospholipid antibodies −Low C3 and C4 −+ve anti‐dsDNA and anti‐Sm antibodies EGPA −hypereosinophilia; pulmonary infiltrates (CXR) −P‐ANCA/MPO‐ANCA positive −Biopsy: eosinophil‐rich granulomatous vasculitis
Neurosarcoidosis	−Cranial neuropathies (facial and optic nerves) −Headache −Spinal cord involvement −Meningitis +/‐ Lung, joint, eye, skin, and lymph node involvement.	CSF pleocytosis CSF ACE levels may be elevated Definite diagnosis: biopsy
Sjogren syndrome	‐F>>M(9:1 ratio) ‐Ocular and oral dryness ‐Musculoskeletal pain and fatigue +/‐pulmonary, renal or biliary tract involvement. Neuro: ‐Sensory neuropathy/neuronopathy	Anti‐SSA and/or anti‐SSB antibodies Schirmer’s test ‐ ocular dryness Minor salivary gland biopsy
Autoimmune encephalitides 1 ‐AMPA ‐anti‐NMDA ‐Anti‐CASPR2	−Limbic Encephalitis −Movement Disorders −Autonomic Dysfunction +/‐ Neuropathy	Autoimmune encephalitis antibody panel T2/FLAIR hyperintensities in medial temporal lobes CSF pleocytosis
Inherited
CMT 1X	−Sensorimotor demyelinating neuropathy −Transient neurologic episodes: hemiparesis, paraparesis, quadriparesis, dysarthria, ataxia, altered mental state Triggers: infections, exertion, trauma, altitude.	Genetics: GJB1 pathogenic variants

ACE, angiotensin‐converting enzyme; AMPA, α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionic acid; ANCA, Anti‐neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies; CASPR2, Contactin‐associated protein‐like 2;CMT 1X, Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth type 1X; CMV, cytomegalovirus; CNS, central nervous system; CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; CXR, chest X‐ray; dsDNA, double‐stranded DNA; EGPA, eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis; ELISA, enzyme‐linked immuosorbent assay; EV, enterovirus; F, female; FLAIR, fluid‐attenuated inversion recovery; GBS, Guillain‐Barré Syndrome; HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; M, male; MPO, myeloperoxidase; NMDA, N‐Methyl‐ d‐aspartate; RT‐PCR, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus; VZV, varicella zoster virus

¹Presentation usually largely dominated by central nervous system involvement. PNS signs rare, but occasionally reported