title: Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, autoimmunity, and psychosis.
abstract: Anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is a recently-discovered synaptic autoimmune disorder in which auto-antibodies target NMDARs in the brain, leading to their removal from the synapse. Patients manifest with prominent psychiatric symptoms - and in particular psychosis - early in the disease course. This presentation converges with long-standing evidence on multiple fronts supporting the glutamatergic model of schizophrenia. We review mechanisms underlying disease in anti-NMDAR encephalitis, and discuss its role in furthering our understanding of neural circuit dysfunction in schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, United States; Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, United States. Electronic address: Matthew.Kayser@uphs.upenn.edu.
authors.forename: Matthew S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kayser
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, United States; Department of Neurology, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dalmau
mesh_terms: D060426:Anti-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Encephalitis / Q000276:immunology*; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000276:immunology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000276:immunology*
keywords: Autoimmune; Encephalitis; NMDA; Schizophrenia