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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Mar 30.
Published in final edited form as: Can J Neurol Sci. 2019 Oct 31;47(1):69–76. doi: 10.1017/cjn.2019.305

Table 1.

Demographic features, details of clinical presentation and course, and results of diagnostic testing for 11 anti-NMDAR encephalitis patients evaluated at our center.

Case Age, M/F Symptoms/Signs NMDAR IgG antibody test results Additional diagnostic testing Treatment
In-House Reference
CSF Serum CSF Serum
1 20F 1. A/P, Sz
2. Dk, Da
+ (Day 57) NA + (Day 57) NA EEG: AC
MRI Brain: ANS
Tumor: none
Oral steroids, IVMP, IVIg, PLEX, rituximab
2 23F 1. A/P
2. SD
3. LOC, Dk, Da
+ (Day 32) − (Day 30) + (Day 32) NA EEG: AC
MRI Brain:
Nm Tumor:
Mature ovarian teratoma
IVMP, IVIg, PLEX
3 35F 1. LOC, SD
2. A/P
3. Da
+ (Day 31) NA + (Day 31) NA EEG: ANS
MRI Brain: Nm
Tumor: none
IVMP, IVIg
4 31M 1. LOC, Sz
2. A/P
3. Da
NA − (Day 32) + (Day 24) − (Day 32) EEG: ANS
MRI Brain: Nm
Tumor: none
IVMP, PLEX, IVIg
5 18F 1. A/P
2. LOC, Dk, Da
NA NA + (Day 23) − (Day 23) EEG: ANS
MRI Brain: Nm
Tumor: none
IVMP, PLEX, rituximab
6 15M 1. SD
2. LOC
3. A/P, Dk
NA NA + (Day 28) NA EEG: Nm
MRI Brain:
Nm Tumor: none
IVMP
7 20M 1. Dk
2. SD, A/P, Sz
NA − (Day 10) + (Day 11) − (Day 10) EEG: ANS
MRI Brain: ANS
Tumor: none
IVMP, IVIg
8 32F 1. A/P
2. Dk
3. LOC
4. SD, Sz, Da
+ (Day 32) − (Day 31) NA NA EEG: ANS
MRI Brain: Nm
Tumor: none
IVMP, IVIg, PLEX, rituximab
9 23M 1. A/P, LOC
2. Sz
NA NA + (Day 17) NA EEG: ANS
MRI Brain: AC
Tumor: none
IVMP, IVIg, rituximab
10 52F 1. SD
2. LOC
3. A/P
4. Dk
5. Sz
+ (Day 219) − (Day 218) + (Day 219) NA EEG: ANS
MRI Brain: ANS
Tumor: none
Oral steroid, IVMP, IVIg
11 28F 1. Sz, Da
2. SD, A/P
3. Dk, LOC
+ (Day 13) − (Day 11) NA NA EEG: AC
MRI: Nm
Tumor: none
IVMP, PLEX, rituximab

Symptoms are ordered by onset. Timing of CSF and serum testing is presented relative to the day of symptom onset. MRI and EEG findings were either normal (Nm: indicating no pathological abnormality), abnormal-nonspecific (ANS: indicating abnormalities that are not specific for anti-NMDAR encephalitis, including non-specific FLAIR signal changes on MRI, and slowing on EEG) or abnormal-consistent (AC: indicating abnormalities that are consistent with anti-NMDAR encephalitis, such as mesial temporal lobe signal changes with or without extension into adjacent limbic structures on MRI, and delta-brush on EEG). No adverse events were attributed to blood draw or lumbar puncture. +: Positive result; -: Negative result; A/P: Agitation / Psychosis; CSF: Cerebrospinal fluid; Da: dysautonomia; Dk: Dyskinesia; EEG: Electroencephalogram; FLAIR: T2-fluid-attenuated inversion recovery; LOC: Altered level of consciousness; MRI: Magnetic resonance image; IVMP: Intravenous methylprednisolone; IVIg: Intravenous immunoglobulin; PLEX: Plasmapheresis / plasma exchange; SD: speech dysfunction; Sz: Seizure.