In her New York Times bestseller Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness, journalist Susannah Cahalan describes dreadful psychological experiences associated with her eventual diagnosis of autoimmune encephalitis. Compared with other forms of autoimmune disease and other types of encephalitis, knowledge about this particular diagnostic entity seems to be unfamiliar to most physicians; the medical […]
Jamie David Smith has written a terrific article on the struggles of siblings of special needs children. Smith speaks to Rachel Feichter whose daughter, Talia, has autoimmune encephalitis. “Documentary filmmaker Rachel Feichter has a typically developing 11-year-old and a 7-year-old, Talia, who has special needs as a result of a neurological autoimmune disease, Hashimoto’s encephalitis. […]
Suzi and Bob Given have contributed $25,000 to establish a matching campaign for the Autoimmune Encephalitis Alliance. This means donations we receive will be matched 1:1 up to $25K, by the Given’s gift. Bob is recovering from autoimmune encephalitis and states, “I directly benefited from the work being done by AEA, as have so many others. This donation […]
Shawn Kregan contacted the Autoimmune Encephalitis Alliance in August of 2016, and we have been connecting regularly ever since. He has put together a voice memo to aid and inspire those who struggle with AE. Shawn wants everyone to know that sharing experiences gives others confidence and strength, so don’t be afraid to tell people […]
We get a lot of questions about known AE antibodies. Identification of antibodies on a cellular level has led to a reclassification and renaming of many diseases. Note that many people who have AE are antibody negative, which most in the medical community agree is because all antibodies simply have not yet been discovered. The Center for Autoimmune Neurology […]
A special thanks to Emily for guest blogging for AEA. Here is her story. 2015 was shaping up to be a great year. I had moved to Charlotte, NC just over 2 years ago and bought my dream town-home in one of the most sought after neighborhoods. I found my groove here, and had a […]
Authors Chloe Bost,Olivier Pascual, and Jérôme Honnorat published the following in Dove Press an open access peer-reviewed publication devoted to medical and scientific research. Abstract: Autoimmune encephalitis is a rare and newly described group of diseases involving autoantibodies directed against synaptic and neuronal cell surface antigens. It comprises a wide range of neuropsychiatric symptoms. Sensitive and specific […]
At this time of Thanksgiving, we are grateful to Kimberly and all of you who write to us. Whether you are looking for information, support, a doctor, or writing with appreciation we at AEA are thankful for you. Your generous donations allow us to aid people like Kimberly. Please consider showing your support for all […]
Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections, allowing neurons (nerve cells) in the brain to compensate for injury and disease and to adjust their activities in response to new situations or to changes in their environment. The following is from an article in The Lancet Neurology. Written by Jules Morgan, “No […]
“I was given the gift of survival, and the gift of having a voice to shed light on this little known disease.” From guest blogger, Caroline, who contacted AEA. We asked her to share her story. We hope her experience will spur on others in their own fight with AE. It’s safe to say 2015 was not […]