Autoimmune encephalitis comprises a group of disorders in which the host immune system targets self-antigens expressed in the central nervous system (CNS). Some of the best-characterised diseases are associated with autoantibodies that target neuroglial antigens. These autoantibodies are considered pathogenic because they are directed against the extracellular—and hence in vivo exposed—domains of their target antigens.

Associate Editor of Practical Neurology, Dr Tom Hughes, Department of Neurology, Cardiff, interviews Prof Sarosh R Irani, Oxford Autoimmune Neurology Group, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Oxford University, about his recent paper, in which he summarised the well-known autoantibody-mediated encephalitis syndromes with neuronal cell-surface antigens and focus on practical aspects of their diagnosis and treatment, offer their clinical experiences of managing such cases and highlight more basic neuroimmunological advances that will inform their future diagnosis and treatments.

Read the paper on the Practical Neurology website (https://pn.bmj.com/content/21/5/412) and the October print issue of the journal.

The paper is also discussed by Practical Neurology editors, Dr Phil Smith and Dr Geraint Fuller, in their latest podcast: https://soundcloud.com/bmjpodcasts/editors-highlights-of-the-october-2021-issue?in=bmjpodcasts/sets/pn-podcast

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