The immune system normally produces antibodies to attack foreign substances in the body, such as bacteria. When this process goes wrong, antibodies are produced that attack receptors in the brain, causing the receptor to stop listening to the signals being sent to it. In cases of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, antibodies attack N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the brain.
So the immune system might be attacking NMDA and other receptors. Hopefully they found something.
Thats so interesting! I love medicine studies like these. I wonder about the outcomes.
I would be so scared of the spinal tap though…brr. I was already deadscared of the epidural during delivery, wanted a natural birth. After 24 hours of contractions, 2 nights without sleep and no progression i finally got over my fear of epidurals and begged for pain relief, no matter what kind, asap.
Sorry, totally off topic, the word spinal tap brought back memories.
This is really interesting!
As a chronically-ill person with a possible genetic condition (genetic testing results of my parents still on the way), I was given the suggestion of getting my spinal fluid tested for autoimmune diseases, like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. But I opted for blood test instead, which eliminated both diseases.
I’ll research this condition and see what it is about! I do have multi-systemic problems, so I think it would be worthwhile to take a look. Thank you for sharing this article!
I also have seizures, and my last seizure-like episode was in January. The MRI didn’t show anything, but I recovered remarkably well when the neurologist gave me anti-epileptic meds. So I don’t know if this is a case for me.
I’ll talk to my geneticist about it.
