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Long‐term cognitive and neuropsychiatric outcomes in patients with anti‐NMDAR encephalitis
Author(s) -
Liu Xu,
Zhang Le,
Chen Chu,
Gong Xue,
Lin Jingfang,
An Dongmei,
Zhou Dong,
Hong Zhen
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1111/ane.13160
Subject(s) - irritability , medicine , encephalitis , psychiatry , cohort , cognition , pediatrics , montreal cognitive assessment , cohort study , prospective cohort study , cognitive impairment , virus , virology
Objectives To evaluate the long‐term cognitive or neuropsychiatric outcomes and potential risk factors associated with prolonged cognitive deficits or neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with anti‐ N ‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor (anti‐NMDAR) encephalitis. Methods In this cohort follow‐up study, patients with a definitive diagnosis of anti‐NMDAR encephalitis from the inpatient of West China Hospital between June 2012 and December 2017 were included and underwent a prospective cognitive and neuropsychiatric assessment every 3 months by cognitive impairment rating scale, Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) and/or Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Results Up to 97.5% patients had severe cognitive deficits and neuropsychiatric symptoms in acute phase. Decreasing proportion of patients with prolonged cognitive deficits was observed and time dependent. At 2 years' follow‐up, 7.8% of patients with cognitive deficits were unable to complete some previous activities or return to work. The risk factors associated with persistent cognitive deficits included age of disease onset over 40 years old (HR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.11‐2.82; P = .01) and with clinical relapses (HR, 2.22; 95% CI, 1.21‐4.09; P = .02). The predictors of prolonged neuropsychiatric symptoms included clinical relapses (HR, 2.79; 95% CI, 1.21‐6.43; P = .02). Among the 12 neuropsychiatric symptoms of NPI, irritability was shown as the most prevalent and persistent. Conclusions Combined cognitive and neuropsychiatric assessment and intervention are essential elements of comprehensive care of anti‐NMDAR encephalitis.