Autoimmune Encephalitis

Life after autoimmune encephalitis: Alex shares his story July 24, 2017

Hanging out with friends and being a normal 19-year old seemed to be the right thing to do during the summer of 2010. Having a great time and then it all went black . . . I woke up in the hospital in Delta, Colorado. It was very faint. I remember my grandparents were there […]

Autoimmune encephalitis in children – June 2017 review July 12, 2017

Researchers in three countries have come together to publish a review article in Current Opinion in Neurology, June 2017. Issues addressed in this comprehensive publication include: challenges in diagnosis, antibody detection methods, treatment decisions, seronegative cases and the challenges in monitoring patients over time. Points of emphasis include the following: Many autoimmune encephalopathies are central […]

Targeted Therapy Holds Future Promise July 9, 2017

In many areas of medicine, treatments are increasingly becoming targeted in a way that benefits patients. This is happening in fields ranging from oncology to neurological disease. In this month’s Neurology Now, treatment for autoimmune encephalitis is being cited as one area where “precision medicine” holds promise for better and targeted treatments according to antibody […]

A Case of Anti-LGI1 Encephalitis July 3, 2017

As research on autoimmune encephalitis has progressed over the past 10 years, pioneers in the field have often referred to it as a heterogeneous group of disorders. The commonality in various forms of AE is the underlying pathologic mechanism in a patient’s own immune system. For unknown reason the patient’s immune system has produced antibodies […]

Treatment of autoimmune encephalitis with immune based therapies June 6, 2017

The Journal of Neurology, Neuroscience, and Psychiatry reports on autoimmune encephalitis patients treated with immune based therapy including rituximab.  Authors Dowland F, Swayne A, Bhuta S, et. al. discuss three cases and conclude, “The field of neuro-immunology has seen a plethora of newly discovered autoantibodies, yet there remain a significant number of patients, with features suggestive […]

A daughter remembers her mom to help others with AE June 21, 2017

The following was sent to us by Erin Wicke Dankert to honor her mother Rita. “My family has been very open with my Mom’s experience in hopes of helping others with this condition.”  AEA is so appreciative of this personal sharing by all who loved Rita. In March, my family suffered the devastating loss of […]