Autoimmune Epilepsy Clinic

This multidisciplinary clinic provides care for patients with seizures secondary to autoimmune encephalitis (AE).

Autoimmune epilepsy:
Autoimmune encephalitis can cause seizures, by direct or indirect of immune system on brain. Often times these seizures continue as long as inflammatory process continues in the brain. Less frequently, these seizures continue even when inflammatory process has subsided, at which point it is called autoimmune Epilepsy.

Symptoms:
Sudden onset of frequent seizures in a person without predisposing brain lesions, personal or family history of seizures needs evaluation for immune-related seizures. These seizures tend to respond poorly to anti-seizure medicine.

Diagnosis:
Diagnostic testing may include blood tests, CSF tests, MRI imaging, electroencephalogram and in rare cases brain biopsy.

Treatment:
When seizures happen secondary to an autoimmune process, we need to address both seizures and the inflammatory process. Depending on etiology, seizures secondary to autoimmune process can be hard to manage and may require long-term medical treatment.

Meet Our Physicians
The Clinics for Autoimmune Epilepsy are run by Epilepsy and Neuroimmunology specialists.