Autoimmune Encephalopathies

Autoimmune encephalopathies involve a change in thinking (or cognition) related to immune system activity in the brain.

Autoimmune encephalopathies involve a change in thinking (or cognition) related to immune system activity in the brain.  There are a wide range of symptoms and types of encephalopathies as well as many different causes. Often the presence of a tumor or a bacterial infection can lead to encephalitis. When one of these is not the cause, an autoimmune cause is considered.  The immediate cause of an autoimmune encephalopathy may never be diagnosed.

Specific types of autoimmune encephalopathies include:

  • voltage gated possium channel (VGKCR)
  • GAD65
  • anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis