Book contents
- Autoimmune Encephalitis and Related Disorders of the Nervous System
- Autoimmune Encephalitis and Related Disorders of the Nervous System
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Clinical Vignettes
- Videos
- Preface
- Abbreviations
- Section 1 Overview
- Section 2 Antibodies and Antigens
- Section 3 Specific Syndromes and Diseases
- Chapter 6 Limbic Encephalitis
- Chapter 7 Autoimmunity Against Proteins Associated with Voltage-Gated Potassium Channels
- Chapter 8 Anti-NMDAR Encephalitis
- Chapter 9 Seizures and Antibodies Against Surface Antigens
- Chapter 10 Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis and Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibody-Associated Disease
- Chapter 11 Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders and Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein Autoimmunity
- Chapter 12 Autoimmune Cerebellar Ataxias
- Chapter 13 Autoimmune Brainstem Encephalitis
- Chapter 14 Autoimmunity Against the Inhibitory Synapsis
- Chapter 15 Anti-IgLON5 Disease
- Chapter 16 Autoimmune and Inflammatory Encephalopathies as Complications of Cancer
- Chapter 17 Deconstructing Hashimoto Encephalopathy
- Chapter 18 CNS Syndromes at the Frontier of Autoimmune Encephalitis
- Section 4 Autoimmunity in Neurological and Psychiatric Diseases
- Index
- References
Chapter 7 - Autoimmunity Against Proteins Associated with Voltage-Gated Potassium Channels
from Section 3 - Specific Syndromes and Diseases
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 January 2022
- Autoimmune Encephalitis and Related Disorders of the Nervous System
- Autoimmune Encephalitis and Related Disorders of the Nervous System
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Clinical Vignettes
- Videos
- Preface
- Abbreviations
- Section 1 Overview
- Section 2 Antibodies and Antigens
- Section 3 Specific Syndromes and Diseases
- Chapter 6 Limbic Encephalitis
- Chapter 7 Autoimmunity Against Proteins Associated with Voltage-Gated Potassium Channels
- Chapter 8 Anti-NMDAR Encephalitis
- Chapter 9 Seizures and Antibodies Against Surface Antigens
- Chapter 10 Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis and Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibody-Associated Disease
- Chapter 11 Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders and Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein Autoimmunity
- Chapter 12 Autoimmune Cerebellar Ataxias
- Chapter 13 Autoimmune Brainstem Encephalitis
- Chapter 14 Autoimmunity Against the Inhibitory Synapsis
- Chapter 15 Anti-IgLON5 Disease
- Chapter 16 Autoimmune and Inflammatory Encephalopathies as Complications of Cancer
- Chapter 17 Deconstructing Hashimoto Encephalopathy
- Chapter 18 CNS Syndromes at the Frontier of Autoimmune Encephalitis
- Section 4 Autoimmunity in Neurological and Psychiatric Diseases
- Index
- References
Summary
The description of VGKC antibodies detected by radioimmunoassay (RIA) led to mischaracterizing as autoimmune an extensive number of syndromes in many patients who in fact did not have autoimmune disorders. We now know that VGKC antibodies demonstrated by RIA have no clinical value, unless the presence of LGI1 and CASPR2 antibodies are demonstrated by cell-based assays. Limbic encephalitis is by far the most frequent disorder associated with LGI1 antibodies. It usually occurs in the elderly (median age ~65 years) and ~65% are male. Anti-LGI1 encephalitis is frequently preceded by faciobrachial dystonic seizures that are very characteristic of this disorder and should prompt early-onset immunotherapy to prevent the development of memory and cognitive deficits. Most patients do not have cancer or other types of tumours, with the exception of thymoma in a few cases. Patients with CASPR2 antibodies may present with symptoms of encephalitis or peripheral nervous system hyperexcitability (neuromyotonia), and sometimes they develop Morvan syndrome. This disorder is characterized by a severe sleep dysfunction named agrypnia excitata, along with hallucinations, cognitive decline, dysautonomia, and neuromyotonia. Up to 50% of patients with Morvan syndrome have an underlying thymoma. As with other encephalitis associated with antibodies against neuronal surface antigens, patients with encephalitis associated with LGI1 and CASPR2 antibodies usually respond to immunotherapy.
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- Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2022