Disorders related to antineuronal antibodies: Autoimmune epilepsy

Autoimmune epilepsy is characterized as a subtype of autoimmune encephalitis, where epileptic seizures serve as the primary or predominant manifestation of the disease. Among patients who are refractory to antiepileptic drug therapy, a part of them experience improved seizure control with immunotherapy. Some of these individuals have been found to possess autoantibodies that target the neuronal surface, intracellular, or extracellular antigens. In 2017, the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) proposed a new classification of epilepsy syndromes that, for the first time, recognized “immune” as one of the etiologies of epilepsy. Since early and prompt diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune epilepsy may improve the prognosis, it is crucial to actively consider the utilization of reported diagnostic features and treatment with immunotherapy in the management of patients with refractory epilepsy. We herein provide a review of the literature concerning the clinical features, laboratory findings, pathophysiology, and treatment options associated with this disease.