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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Sleep Sci 2021; 14(03): 296-298
DOI: 10.5935/1984-0063.20200080
CASE REPORTS

Anti-NMDA-receptor encephalitis: an unusual treatable cause of chronic insomnia?

Wietse A. Wiels
1   Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Centre For Neuroscience (C4N), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Department of Neurology - Brussels - Brussels - Belgium
,
Yacine Boudiba
1   Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Centre For Neuroscience (C4N), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Department of Neurology - Brussels - Brussels - Belgium
,
Laura Seynaeve
1   Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Centre For Neuroscience (C4N), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Department of Neurology - Brussels - Brussels - Belgium
,
Sylvie De Raedt
1   Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Centre For Neuroscience (C4N), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Department of Neurology - Brussels - Brussels - Belgium
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ABSTRACT

We describe an unusual case of severe and chronic insomnia that proved to be eminently treatable. Initially presumed to be of primary psychiatric/toxicological origin, certain clinical and paraclinical clues led us to the diagnosis of NMDA-receptor encephalitis, an immune-mediated disease of the brain. Our patient responded dramatically to immunotherapy, effectively regaining normal sleep habits and significantly improving his general and mental health after 25 years of insomnia and drug abuse. Immune-mediated encephalopathies should be considered in the differential diagnosis of severe sleep disorders that present with additional neurological signs and symptoms, even when chronic.

Keywords:

Anti-NMDA-Receptor Encephalitis - Insomnia - Immune-Mediated Encephalopathy - Limbic Encephalitis

AUTHORSHIP

All authors declare that they have contributed equally to this manuscript and have been involved in its production. They approve of the current version and agree with possible publication in their name.




Publication History

Received: 26 June 2020

Accepted: 30 November 2020

Article published online:
30 November 2023

© 2021. Brazilian Sleep Association. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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