Research

We are thankful that studies are underway around the world on AE and its many subtypes to better understand the disease and develop new treatments. Recently an international group of physicians worked together to study 103 patients with antibodies to LGI1 and faciobrachial dystonic seizures, made up of those for whom the Oxford Autoimmune Neurology […]

Two physicians from the Mayo Clinic have just published a paper for clinicians discussing the diagnostic testing available for the many autoimmune neurological illnesses including AE and its various forms. They also included treatment approaches used by their institution and many others. A few highlights include: These disorders often develop rather quickly and produce many […]

Many autoimmune encephalitis survivors and family members long to know what caused the illness. Some causes are known, some are not. Among the known causes of anti-NMDA AE are ovarian teratomas and a few viruses, particularly the herpes simplex virus. Studies have shown some patients who develop herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) go on to develop […]

Despite much study centered around the antibodies that cause autoimmune encephalitis, there are still many unanswered questions. One of them is exactly how the severe symptoms of this disease are produced. Physicians conducting research in Berlin, Germany and Jerusalem, Israel have together conducted an observational study of patients with anti-NMDA receptor AE as compared to […]

The widely-read journal Nature Reviews, in its specialized Neurology publication recently featured an article with a summary of the current state of knowledge and research related to neuroimmune illnesses that occur in children, including autoimmune encephalitis. Over a dozen experts collaborated on this paper. A sample of interesting points, which also largely apply to adults […]

Due to the nature of early symptoms in AE, studies have shown that patients often present first to psychiatrists or mental health facilities. Screening for the potential of autoimmune encephalitis may or may not be done, depending on awareness of the treating physicians and availability of testing. Drs. Pollack and Lennox of the UK have […]

New methods of studying the brain have been emerging in recent decades. One such method is the use of functional MRI, which is a way to measure how the brain works as opposed to regular MRI, which looks at structure. This week an exciting new research study was released by the Autoimmune Neurology Group in […]

Physicians from centers in four countries collaborated on a recent retrospective study concerning the use of mycophenolate mofetil (Cell Cept) in autoimmune/immune-mediated diseases of the central nervous system in children. A large percentage of the study population were children with autoimmune encephalitis. The authors were interested in the safety of the medication and whether children […]

Researchers recently released a study in the journal Brain, in which they revealed interesting discoveries about the subtypes of AE associated with LGI1 and CASPR2 antibodies. There is clinical overlap between these two syndromes and, although rare, some patients present with both types of antibodies. These types of AE often present in males, typically in […]

Although a majority of patients with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis make a good recovery, it can take time for patients to recover. Physicians are often looking for objective means to assess a patient’s recovery and ways to monitor for relapses. Researchers at Northwestern and Massachusetts General recently published a case study in which they used a […]