Editorial： The past，present，and future of autoimmune encephalitis
DOI: 10.19845/j.cnki.zfysjjbzz.2025.0091
- VernacularTitle:述评：自身免疫性脑炎的“过去、现在和将来”
- Author:
Lili AN
1
;
Zhiyi HE
1
Author Information
1. Department of Neurology，The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University，Shenyang 110000，China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Autoimmune encephalitis;
Antibody;
Immunotherapy;
Artificial intelligence
- MeSH:
Immunotherapy
- From:
Journal of Apoplexy and Nervous Diseases
2025;42(6):483-486
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Autoimmune encephalitis（AE）is a type of brain inflammation caused by the immune system mistaking autoantigens expressed in the central nervous system for foreign antigens，thereby resulting in abnormal immune response that affects brain parenchyma（cortex or deep gray matter and white matter）and may involve the meninges and spinal cord. This disease is not an infectious inflammatory disease caused by pathogen invasion and is fundamentally different from purulent encephalitis and viral encephalitis，and it can occur in different populations such as children，adolescents，and adults. A recent epidemiological study from the United States shows that there might be a higher prevalence rate of AE，and the prevalence rate of AE was 13.7/100 000 in this population-based study，with no significant difference from the prevalence rate of infectious encephalitis. Since the discovery of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate（NMDA）receptor antibodies，many patients who experience mental symptoms with rapid progression，abnormal behavior，seizures，or unexplained coma have been diagnosed with AE. The onset of symptoms is usually unclear，which might be similar to mental illness，but then the disease often progresses rapidly and causes damage to brain parenchyma and even loss of consciousness and coma，which usually requires intensive care. Therefore，a comprehensive and systematic understanding of AE is of great significance for clinicians to achieve early identification，diagnosis，and treatment and help patients obtain a good prognosis. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of existing research findings of AE in terms of its past，present，and future development and from cognitive limitations to the leap towards precision treatment，in order to provide assistance for diagnosis and treatment among clinicians.
- Full text:2025071709503889743述评：自身免疫性脑炎的“过去、现在和将来”.pdf
