The relevance of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis for psychiatrists

Abstract

Psychiatrists are often the first to be consulted in patients with anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis. While this disease is rare, psychiatrists need to be aware of its relevant fundamental, clinical and therapeutic aspects. We begin by reviewing the connection between anti-NMDAR encephalitis and the glutamate hypothesis of schizophrenia. Next, we focus on the profile of the patient typically afflicted with this disease. Then, we tackle the limited utility of current diagnostic criteria during the early stage of the disease. After reviewing the psychiatric features, we debate the quest for finding specific psychiatric phenotypes that could facilitate early-stage diagnosis. We conclude by discussing the treatment of psychiatric symptoms and disease outcomes. As follows, this paper presents the relevance of anti-NMDAR encephalitis for psychiatrists.

KEY POINTS

• Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is an essential differential diagnosis in Psychiatry, particularly when dealing with first-episode psychosis.

• Psychiatrists are often the first to be consulted in patients with NMDAR encephalitis, so they need to be aware of the relevant fundamental, clinical and therapeutic aspects of this disease.

Keywords:

• Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis
• autoimmune encephalitis
• first-episode psychosis
• Psychiatry
• psychiatric

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analysed in this study.

This study was not supported by any sponsor or funder.

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This study was not supported by any sponsor or funder.