Antibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase define a form of limbic encephalitis.

Journal article

OBJECTIVE: Antibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) have been described in a few patients with temporal lobe epilepsies consistent with limbic encephalitis (LE). We studied a cohort of patients with recent-onset temporal lobe epilepsy caused by LE to test for GAD antibody positivity and response to immunotherapies. METHODS: Over a period of 3.75 years, 138 patients aged >or=18 years investigated at the Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, for recent-onset epilepsy were prospectively collected and studied for cliniconeuroradiological features of LE, autoantibodies, and treatment responses. RESULTS: Fifty-three adult patients fulfilled the criteria for LE: (1) limbic signs and symptoms for

Authors: Malter, M; Helmstaedter, C; Urbach, H; Vincent, A; Bien, C

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Annals of neurology
• Volume: 67
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 470-478
• Publication date: 2010-04-01
• DOI: 10.1002/ana.21917
• EISSN: 1531-8249
• ISSN: 0364-5134
• Language: English
• Keywords: Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; Aged, 80 and over; Middle Aged; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Antibodies; Adult; Young Adult; Neuropsychological Tests; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; Positron-Emission Tomography; Follow-Up Studies; Glutamate Decarboxylase; Limbic Encephalitis; Female; Aged; Treatment Outcome; Humans; Retrospective Studies; Prospective Studies; Adolescent; Male; Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated; Statistics, Nonparametric