[Review of the psychiatric aspects of anti-NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartic acid) receptor encephalitis, case report, and our plans for a future study].

[Review of the psychiatric aspects of anti-NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartic acid) receptor encephalitis, case report, and our plans for a future study]. Neuropsychopharmacol Hung. 2016 Dec;18(4):199-208 Authors: Herman L, Zsigmond IR, Peter L, Rethelyi JM Abstract Anti-NMDAR (N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor) encephalitis, first described in 2007, is a rare, autoimmune limbic encephalitis. In half of the cases anti-NMDAR antibodies are paraneoplastic manifestations of an underlying tumor (mostly ovarian teratoma). In the early stage of the disease psychiatric symptoms are prominent, therefore 60-70% of the patients are first treated in a psychiatric department. In most of the cases, typical neurological symptoms appear later. Besides the clinical picture and typical symptoms, verifying presence of IgG antibodies in the serum or CSF is necessary to set up the diagnosis. Other diagnostic tools, including laboratory tests, MRI, lumbar puncture or EEG are neither specific, nor sensitive enough. Therapy is based on supportive care, plasma exchange and immune suppression, intensive care administration can be necessary. If there is an underlying tumor, tumor removal is the first-line treatment. The disease can cause fatal complications in the acute phase but with adequate therapy long-term prognosis is good, although rehabilitation can last for months. In the past few years besides the typical clinical picture and illness course an increasing num...
Source: Neuropsychopharmacologia Hungarica - Category: Psychiatry Tags: Neuropsychopharmacol Hung Source Type: research