Clinical Characterization of mGluR5-Antibody Associated Encephalitis

Glutamate receptor antibodies have been implicated in NMDAR encephalitis, AMPAR encephalitis, and mGluR1 cerebellar dysfunction. Now, investigators describe the effects of mGluR5 on a total of 13 patients. Testing of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 14,475 patients spanning 2005 through 2017 identified 11patients with encephalitis and anti-mGluR5 antibodies.

Median age was 29 (interquartile range, 15–46) with a median 2 months' duration of symptoms. Seven had associated malignancies, most commonly Hodgkin lymphoma, and the neurologic syndrome began before the tumor diagnosis. The most common manifestations included headache, personality/mood changes, agitation, severe anxiety, psychosis, hallucinations, altered cognition, poor sleep, seizures,…