Autoimmune Encephalitis beyond NMDA-R Antibodies

Title; Autoimmune Encephalitis beyond NMDA-R Antibodies, Josep Dalmau, March 27, 2021

Autoimmune Encephalitis beyond NMDA-R Antibodies
Josep Dalmau (SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital, Spain)
Autoimmune encephalitis is a new category of diseases in which autoantibodies against neuronal cell surface and synaptic proteins cause a wide variety of syndromes and diseases resulting in neuropsychiatric manifestations. The spectrum of diseases, comorbidities and triggers is different between adults and children and symptoms vary according to the type of autoantibody. In children the most frequent autoimmune encephalitis is anti-NMDAR followed by a few others such as anti-MOG (myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein), anti-GABAaR, and other. In this presentation I will review the spectrum of these diseases in children, some of the underlying pathogenic mechanisms involved, and the approaches to treatment.

Learning Objectives

• Clinically recognize anti-NMDA receptor and other autoimmune encephalitis
• Optimally manage the initial treatment approach of anti-NMDAR encephalitis
• Describe the underlying antibody-mediated pathogenic mechanisms in anti-NMDAR and other types of autoimmune encephalitis.