Anti-NMDA-receptor encephalitis: a cause of psychiatric, seizure, and movement disorders in young adults

摘要

Encephalitis in otherwise healthy individuals is generally thought to be of viral origin. If results of viral studies are negative and symptoms persist, whole body CT or PET imaging and serological investigation are used to identify paraneoplastic causes. Antibodies detected in the sera or CSF of many patients bind usually to intracellular antigens, and although they are excellent markers for tumours and paraneoplastic processes, they are not in themselves pathogenic, and these disorders are not typically reversible with immunosuppressive treatments. Two discoveries in the past 10 years offer more hope for some patients.