Autoimmune encephalitis: What has changed during the past 15  years?

This article reviews the recent advances on the antibody detection, neuroimaging and treatment of autoimmune encephalitis. AbstractNon ‐infectious encephalitis has been a recognized entity for many years; however, its pathophysiology was not fully understood. Patients (usually women) presented with acute behavioral changes and were admitted to mental hospitals, without a correct diagnosis. With the new advances on antibody detect ion, the non‐infectious encephalitis panorama has been changing. Immune‐mediated diseases of the central nervous system encompass a variety of disorders, including the classic paraneoplastic encephalitis and the more recently discovered autoimmune encephalitis. Recognition of the new syndromes a nd antigens, in addition to the advances in diagnostic methods, such as antibody detection and imaging, and early implementation of immunotherapy, have changed the field of autoimmune encephalitis significantly over the past two decades. The best recognized form of autoimmune encephalitis is anti‐ N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor encephalitis, which usually presents with neuropsychiatric changes, seizures, autonomic dysfunction and usually a decreased level of consciousness. Nevertheless, the panorama for other types of receptors, such as anti‐α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐ isoxazolepropionic acid receptor, anti‐gamma‐aminobutyric acid and, most recently, anti‐glycine receptor, anti‐metabotropic glutamate receptor 5, dopami...
Source: Clinical and Experimental Neuroimmunology - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: Review Article Source Type: research