Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Oct;14(4):432-436.
doi: 10.1176/appi.focus.20160019. Epub 2016 Oct 7.

Autoimmune Encephalitis

Michael S Zandi  1
Affiliations

Autoimmune Encephalitis

Michael S Zandi. Focus (Am Psychiatr Publ). 2016 Oct.

Abstract

Antibodies to brain cell-surface proteins have recently been identified in patients whose symptoms cross the boundary between neurology and psychiatry and are associated with syndromes that are responsive to treatment with immunosuppression-based treatments. This has led to an expansion in the field of autoimmune encephalitis. The common syndromes, with particular relevance to psychiatry, are discussed, in particular the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antibody encephalitis syndrome, which is most often associated with a psychosis and cognitive prodrome resembling acute or first-episode psychosis. The recognition, clinical diagnosis and associations, and evidence for disease mechanisms are discussed in this brief review.

Keywords: Neuropsychiatry/neurobiology.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Tenembaum S, Chitnis T, Ness J, et al. : Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. Neurology 2007; 68(Suppl 2):S23–S36 - PubMed
    1. Bauer J, Elger CE, Hans VH, et al. : Astrocytes are a specific immunological target in Rasmussen’s encephalitis. Ann Neurol 2007; 62:67–80 - PubMed
    1. Dalmau J, Rosenfeld MR: Paraneoplastic syndromes of the CNS. Lancet Neurol 2008; 7:327–340 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Crisp SJ, Kullmann DM, Vincent A: Autoimmune synaptopathies. Nat Rev Neurosci 2016; 17:103–117 - PubMed
    1. Swedo SE, Seidlitz J, Kovacevic M, et al. : Clinical presentation of pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections in research and community settings. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol 2015; 25:26–30 - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources