PhD defence A.E.M. (Anna) Bastiaansen

Below is a brief summary of the dissertation:

Antibody-mediated encephalitis, or autoimmune encephalitis (AIE), is a relative new disease entity since the first antibody was discovered in 2000. The antibodies recognize extracellular proteins in the nervous system resulting in neurological symptoms. The symptoms are characterized by a subacute onset, clarified as a rapid progression of less than 3 months, of neuropsychiatric symptoms. Cognitive deterioration is frequently present and can be predominantly affected. Nowadays it is known that the disease course can be less fulminant with a more protracted disease course. This seems mainly the case in the elderly population. Together this suggests that AIE should be able to mimic neurodegenerative dementia syndromes. Therefore, this thesis focuses on the recognition and treatment in the elderly patient with AIE, with special emphasis on cognitive symptoms and dementia syndromes. At the end of this thesis treatment in paraneoplastic neurological syndromes (PNS) is discussed. PNS have a strong association with malignancies, and the antibodies generally do not react to the extracellular surface of antigens, but recognize intracellular parts. Treatment in PNS generally is less effective compared to AIE and new therapies are an unmet medical need. .