UnknownNot Applicable

Developing Advanced Neuroimaging for Clinical Evaluation of Autoimmune Encephalitis

United Kingdom75 participantsStarted 2022-05-19

Plain-language summary

Autoimmune encephalitis is brain inflammation caused by the immune system mistakenly reacting against proteins in the brain. The commonest form is called NMDAR-antibody encephalitis (N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antibody encephalitis), a rare condition which mainly affects children and young people and causes difficulties in memory, thinking and mental health which can have significant long-term impacts on education, employment and quality of life. In this project we will use advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure changes in the structure, function and chemistry of the brains of children and young people who are in early recovery from NMDAR-antibody encephalitis and other forms of immune-mediated encephalitis. We will investigate if MRI measurements in patients differ from those in healthy people, and if they can help predict patient outcome one year later, assessed by tests of memory, thinking, mental health and functioning in daily life.

Who can participate

Age range8 Years – 24 Years

SexALL

See this in plain English?

AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.

Inclusion criteria

✓. Age 8-24 years at study enrollment.
✓. Disease onset in the last 12 months before study enrollment.
✓. Meets consensus diagnostic criteria (Graus et al., 2016) for either probable anti-NMDAR encephalitis OR definite anti-NMDAR encephalitis.
✓. Age 8-24 years at study enrollment.
✓. Disease onset in the last 12 months before study enrollment.
✓. Meets consensus diagnostic criteria (Graus et al., 2016) for either autoantibody-negative but probable autoimmune encephalitis OR definite autoimmune limbic encephalitis.

Exclusion criteria

✕. Alternative more likely cause of neurological symptoms than autoimmune encephalitis, i.e. reasonable exclusion of other diagnoses as per consensus criteria (Graus et al., 2016).
✕. Severe movement disorder/uncontrolled epilepsy/dysautonomia.
✕. Previous infective encephalitis with major destructive brain lesions.

What they're measuring

Cerebral concentrations of GABA and glutamate at the prefrontal cortex and left medial temporal lobe

Timeframe: Baseline

Structural MRI

Timeframe: Baseline

Resting-state fMRI

Timeframe: Baseline

Trial details

NCT IDNCT05280600

SponsorKing's College London

Sponsor typeOTHER

Study typeOBSERVATIONAL

Primary completion2024-02-28

Contact for this trial

Michael R Eyre, MBBS MRes

+44 207 1887188 michael.eyre@kcl.ac.uk

View on ClinicalTrials.gov More Anti-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Encephalitis trials

Plain-language summary

Who can participate

Age range8 Years – 24 Years

SexALL

See this in plain English?

AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.

Inclusion criteria

✓. Age 8-24 years at study enrollment.
✓. Disease onset in the last 12 months before study enrollment.
✓. Meets consensus diagnostic criteria (Graus et al., 2016) for either probable anti-NMDAR encephalitis OR definite anti-NMDAR encephalitis.
✓. Age 8-24 years at study enrollment.
✓. Disease onset in the last 12 months before study enrollment.
✓. Meets consensus diagnostic criteria (Graus et al., 2016) for either autoantibody-negative but probable autoimmune encephalitis OR definite autoimmune limbic encephalitis.

Exclusion criteria

✕. Alternative more likely cause of neurological symptoms than autoimmune encephalitis, i.e. reasonable exclusion of other diagnoses as per consensus criteria (Graus et al., 2016).
✕. Severe movement disorder/uncontrolled epilepsy/dysautonomia.
✕. Previous infective encephalitis with major destructive brain lesions.