AAN 2022 | Latest developments & research trends in autoimmune encephalitis and autoimmune-associated epilepsy

Claude Steriade, MD, New York School of Medicine, New York, NY, discusses the latest developments in autoimmune encephalitis and autoimmune-associated epilepsy addressed in the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 2022 Congress. As an area that has generated a lot of interest for neurologists, there are many exciting new developments regarding diagnostics and therapeutics. Dr Steriade describes that these advances have allowed for the identification of patients who may have previously been missed due to an incomplete prior understanding of the phenotypic variation of autoimmune-associated epilepsy. Another area of focus is the improved understanding of outcomes concerning autoimmune encephalitis; this can lead to seizures and the development of epilepsy further down the line. Dr Steriade also emphasizes the pediatric elements of these disorders; they are largely underacknowledged. Therapeutics were also a focus at this meeting; treatability in this area is high, therefore, generating a lot of interest from neurologists concerning what works. With conceptual definitions of acute symptomatic seizures secondary to autoimmune encephalitis vs. autoimmune associated epilepsy, different treatment approaches were covered at the talk. This interview took place at AAN 2022 in Seattle, WA.