Autoimmune Encephalitis
March 22, of each year is Brain Injury Awareness Day. This year’s theme is “Not Alone.” While autoimmune encephalitis is not what most people consider a “brain injury,” the damage done by the disease can be similar. “I have been told by several world-class physicians who focus on AE, that recovery, and in particular the […]
One of the major difficulties that many patients with AE face is that when the brain is affected, various symptoms present in different facets of human experience. These may include a person’s thoughts and behavior, emotions, speech, physical movements, memory, sleep habits, sensory experience, personality, etc. And these may even change from day to day as […]
Experts in the field of AE came together in 2016 to establish a set of clinical diagnostic criteria to be used early in the course of disease (Graus et al). This was developed so that patients might be diagnosed with suspected AE and treated promptly, while still awaiting test results or in areas where antibody […]
Thank you Dr. Mitchell for a clear and engaging explanation of the what happens in the body with AE. Thank you to the AEA Northeast Support Group for recommending Dr. Mitchell as a presenter. Thank you to everyone for your attendance, great questions and feedback. This post includes an overview of the presentation, participant feedback […]
Many thanks to Dr. Jerome Graber for the August 2024 session of our AEA Provider Monthly Education Series, “Paraneoplastic” neurologic disorders: A case-based review. The session included general principles of diagnosis and treatment for paraneoplastic and autoimmune neurologic disorders and their mimics. NOTE: Case presentation & discussion occurs throughout the presentation and is edited out. The edits […]
The Journal of the American Medical Association Nuerology reports the following by authors Volker Behrendt, MD1; Christos Krogias, MD1; Anke Reinacher-Schick, MD2; Ralf Gold, MD1; and Ingo Kleiter, MD1: Anti-NMDAR autoimmune encephalitis, associated with ovarian teratoma, predominantly affects young females.1 Because antibodies against subunits of the NMDAR contribute to the pathogenesis, methods targeting humoral immunity are therapeutically efficacious.2 However, some patients have an unsatisfactory outcome after high-dose corticosteroids, apheresis […]
“Mommy, the baby isn’t moving.” Words no parenting class can prepare you for. As I rushed to my son’s aid, I would find him face down, unresponsive behind the couch. His skin cold to the touch, his eyes glazed over, drool dripping from his mouth. Alive, but my little boy was not there, he was […]
My name is Leah Ehle. I am married and have two Pugs. I live in Connecticut and work as a Nurse Practitioner in the field of gastroenterology. I have worked in the medical field for over 10 years, first in oncology and then after my masters I went into gastroenterology. I have always prided myself […]
Dr. Matteo Gastaldi (C. Mondino National Institute of Neurology Foundation, IRCCS, in Pavia, Italy) was awarded a 2022 AEA Community Seed Grant to investigate the Cognitive teleRehabilitation in patients with Encephalitis of AutoIMmune etiology: CoRE-AIM study. Learn more about his research and how it will impact those affected with autoimmune encephalitis. The start date for the award is September 1, 2022. You […]
Many thanks to Stanley J. Naides, MD, FACP, FACR, Chair, Board of Directors, Autoimmune Encephalitis Alliance as our speaker for the September 2024 AEA Provider Monthly Didactic + Case Discussion series, The Role of the Laboratory in Autoimmune Neurology. The identification of pathological autoantibodies to neural targets has aided diagnosis and prognosis in patients with autoimmune […]