Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) and paraneoplastic neurological syndromes (PNS) are rare neuroimmune syndromes with a wide range of clinical presentation but without pathognomonic clinical sign facilitating the diagnosis. A lot of differential diagnoses are possible such as neurodegenerative diseases or viral infections. Although rare the diagnosis of AE or PNS is essential because despite severe neurological symptoms, patients can be cured by appropriate immunotherapy. Autoantibodies highly specific of AE and PNS has been described in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of the patients and can be used as biomarkers of the disease. Their presence can predict an autoimmune origin and in many cases a good prognosis after immunotherapy. However, if some autoantibodies are now well-characterized and industrial kits have been developed to detect them, in numerous cases of highly suspect AE or PNS no specific autoantibodies are identified leading frequently to an inappropriate treatment. Furthermore, as the mechanisms of AE and PNS is still unknown, treatments are not optimal and in some cases inefficient. There is no prognosis biomarker able to predict the patient's sensitivity to immunotherapy and there are only few clues to know how the immune system can provoke the neuropsychiatric symptoms observed in the patients. The investigators will use this project to better characterize AE and PNS patients to identify new diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and develop new diagnostic tools.
Sex
ALL
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
Description of new biomarkers
Timeframe: Baseline