IEC 2021 | Revisiting the concept of autoimmune epilepsy

Christian Bien, MD, Epilepsy Centre Bethel, Krankenhaus Mara, Bielefeld, Germany, explains that patients with autoimmune encephalitis can be cured of their seizures if treated with corticosteroids for several weeks. Dr Bien continues by explaining that the concepts of epilepsy have been updated since this discovery, with autoimmune encephalitides with acute symptomatic seizures now distinguished from typical chronic epileptic conditions, such as Rasmussen’s encephalitis, which are now termed autoimmune-associated epilepsies. This interview took place during the 34th International Epilepsy Congress, 2021.