A Quick Guide To Autoimmune Epilepsy
Autoimmune epilepsy, or AE, is a relatively rare classification of epilepsy. And it’s for this reason that there isn’t a lot of information about it online. So I wanted to compile some general information about this condition myself, and share it with you all today.
And I think we should start by answering the most obvious question…
What is autoimmune epilepsy?
Autoimmune epilepsy is used as an umbrella term over any case where the body’s immune system is causing seizures. Which means that AE can be caused by many different autoimmune diseases…
But regardless of the disease that’s causing it, AE is a type of epilepsy where the immune system is causing seizures by attacking certain areas of the brain. And it usually comes along with other symptoms, which we’ll get into later in this article.
I also think it’s important to note just how rare this condition is! As it affects an estimated 14 out of 100,000 people; according to case studies.
What are the types of autoimmune epilepsy?
In addition to the fact that multiple diseases can cause autoimmune epilepsy, there are also multiple types of AE diagnoses. Depending on factors like the symptoms, the receptors that are being attacked, and the region of the brain that’s being affected.
Most antibodies that are associated with autoimmune epilepsy target very specific receptors, like… glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GAD65), N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), and leucine-rich-glioma-inactivated protein 1 (LGI1).
Some antibodies are linked to a tumor, in which case they’re labeled paraneoplastic. These are usually cancer-related. And sometimes there’s actually an infection within the brain, in which case the patient is said to have autoimmune encephalitis. These cases are sometimes cancer related, and sometimes not.
Having said all that, here are some known types of AE…
Rasmussen’s Syndrome
Limbic encephalitis
GAD65 antibody related
Anti-NMDAR encephalitis
Systemic Autoimmune Disorder (SAD) related
Febrile illness-related refractory seizures (FIRES)
What are common symptoms of autoimmune epilepsy?
Now, with room for so much variation, it’s no wonder that people with AE can experience a wide array of symptoms. But I’ll share a few of the most common in this section…
First of all, when it comes to the seizures themselves, people with autoimmune epilepsy typically have focal seizures. But they also commonly experience seizures that only affect one side of their face, as well as the arm on that same side. These are a massive sign that AE might be the root cause, and they’re called facial brachial dystonic seizures (FBDS).
People with autoimmune epilepsy will usually have multiple seizures a day, starting at the onset of the condition.
Additionally, they may experience: changes in mood or personality, issues with their memory, depression, paranoia, and even hallucinations.
How does autoimmune epilepsy get diagnosed?
In terms of diagnosis, autoimmune epilepsy may be suspected if someone suddenly starts having unexplained seizures with no other apparent cause. But regardless of what triggers the investigation, the following tests could be run…
Blood tests
An MRI
An EEG (a routine one to start, then perhaps a video one later)
A PET scan
A spinal tap
And a workup to look for cancer or tumors, since this is such a common cause of AE
But it’s important to note that autoimmune epilepsy can be tricky to diagnose.
How is autoimmune epilepsy treated?
Treatment for AE can be tricky, because anti-seizure medication rarely works. But especially with early intervention, immunotherapy can be quite effective! This treatment usually entails taking steroids like methylprednisolone or prednisone.
But in cases where cancer and/or tumors is the root cause of the AE, those will need to be addressed and treated as well. Which is a whole other matter that I can’t get into in this post.
Who is at risk for autoimmune epilepsy?
Obviously, anyone could develop autoimmune epilepsy despite how rare it is thought to be. However, there are some things that could put someone at a higher risk of developing it! Such as…
Having a history of cancer
Having an autoimmune disease like Crohn’s disease, Graves’ disease, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.
Or having a close family member (sibling, child, or parent) with an autoimmune disease!
Conclusion
Autoimmune epilepsy is a completely different type of epilepsy than what I usually talk about, and in a way, it’s a “completely different beast” to deal with. But I hope this article was informative enough to shed some light on this issue.
And I plan to write more about rarer types of epilepsy in the future…
Sources
As always, here’s a list of my sources… So that you can look further into the topic if you’re interested.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/autoimmune-epilepsy#types
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