The AE Alliance blog endeavors to educate, inspire hope and build a community among patients, families and caregivers. This blog is written for families, patients, caregivers and anyone interested in learning more about autoimmune encephalitis.
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a highly selective barrier formed by endothelial cells connected by tight junctions that separate circulating blood from the brain. An intact BBB prevents many micro- and macromolecules and immune cells from entering the brain in order to protect and maintain an optimal level of essential nutrients and neurotransmitters. There has …
This week the FDA approved the initiation of a phase III clinical trial of the oncology supportive care drug Tocilizumab (Actemra – Genentech) for the treatment of hospitalized adult patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia. Tocilizumab is a humanized anti-interleukin (IL)-6 receptor monoclonal antibody, which blocks IL-6-mediated signal transduction. Given the crucial role of IL-6 in stimulating …
To our AE Alliance family and friends, In these unsettling days requiring extraordinary measures to safeguard against COVID-19, we, at the AE Alliance, are more concerned than ever for your wellbeing. From its outset, there has been uncertainty, confusion, and anxiety about this virus. Disruptions to our daily lives are unprecedented and information is rapidly …
Hi, my name is Andrew and I have a version of Autoimmune Encephalitis called Central Nervous System Vasculitis. I was first diagnosed with the broader AE in 2017, and more recently with the more specific CNSV. I’m running the Ironman 70.3 Victoria, BC at the end of May to raise awareness for AE. According to …
Today is Rare Disease Day and the kick-off of our ‘Ask me about AE’ campaign. Each year, Rare Disease Day takes place on the last day of February. The main objective of Rare Disease Day is to raise awareness amongst the general public and decision-makers about rare diseases and their impact on patients’ lives. Like …
We are excited to announce that starting today, on World Encephalitis Day, we will be following Andrew as he prepares for the Ironman 70.3 race in Victoria, B.C. on May 31. Andrew is an AE survivor and wants to raise awareness. He already writes about his life with AE on his own blog and he …
One more week until World Encephalitis Day. Let’s all raise awareness for Autoimmune Encephalitis because far too often people with AE still go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. World Encephalitis Day, founded by the Encephalitis Society in the UK, is the global awareness day for people who have been directly or indirectly affected by encephalitis. This day …
Wow, just like that…, 2020 is here and my family and I find ourselves preparing for another Florence Forth and AE Alliance Family weekend. Approximately 20 of our family and friends will make the trip again this year to Durham from all over the country for Florence Forth, Saturday, March 7th. I can’t wait to …
Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) is an important and treatable cause of acute encephalitis. Diagnosis of AE in a developing child is challenging because of overlap in clinical presentations with other diseases and the complexity of normal behavior changes. Existing diagnostic criteria for adult AE require modification to be applied to children, who differ from adults in …
Dr. Rebecca Sadun is coming back to work with our tweens and teens at the AEA Family weekend. We are delighted to have her! Last year Dr. Sadun read a passage from “Brain on Fire” and then ask each teen to write the title and chapter names for the book about their journey and then pick one …
