Our body’s immune system is what protects us from harmful viruses, bacteria, and more. Autoimmune encephalitis refers to a condition that occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy brain cells, leading to inflammation of the brain. As a part of the immune system’s response, the body produces antibodies that target different brain receptors which leads to different forms of autoimmune encephalitis. Symptoms of autoimmune encephalitis may include seizures, memory loss, cognitive problems, and impaired speech.¹

Autoimmune-associated epilepsy may be a result, and it is important to diagnose because it does not generally respond to typical anti-seizure medications. Instead, immunotherapy is often used to treat people with this condition because it reduces inflammation in the brain.

This free webinar will help viewers understand the difference between paraneoplastic encephalitis (an inflammatory disorder connected to the central nervous system) and autoimmune encephalopathies as well as the difference between acute symptomatic seizures related to autoimmune encephalitis and chronic autoimmune-associated epilepsy. Viewers will learn about the characteristics and biological mechanisms of autoimmune encephalitis and its diagnosis and when to suspect autoimmune-related seizures and epilepsy.