Causes of Neurologic Dysfunction in Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity

Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disease triggered by gluten, a protein in wheat, rye, or barley. CD affects about 1% of the population and typically is characterized by gastrointestinal complaints. Gluten sensitivity (GS) is an illness distinct from CD with a prevalence of about 6%. Patients with GS lack villous atrophy or second-generation antibodies (Tg2-IgA or -IgG, or deamidated gliadin IgA or IgG) but can test positive for antibodies to gliadin. Both CD and GS may present with various neurologic and psychiatric comorbidities such as ataxia, epilepsy, peripheral neuropathies, inflammatory myopathies, myelopathies, headache, and gluten encephalopathy (Psychiatr Q 2012; 83:91).

To identify the causes of neurologic dysfunction in patie…