Symptoms

Symptoms of Autoimmune Encephalitis

The symptoms may include:

• Progressive memory impairment
• Sudden, unexpected personality changes
• Unusual behaviors
• Seizures
• Hallucinations
• Paranoia
• Abnormal movements

Different types of autoimmune encephalitis exist, and each one of them has a unique presentation and rate of progression. Because onset of autoimmune encephalitis can frequently mimic primary psychiatric disorders, the diagnosis can often be challenging.

Autoimmune encephalitis at times can be associated with an underlying cancer, in which case it is called paraneoplastic. In these cases, finding and treating the underlying malignancy is critically important.