Acute Symptomatic Seizures and Risk of Seizure Recurrence in Patients with Anti-NMDAR, Anti-LGI1, and Anti-GABABR Encephalitis.

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics of acute symptomatic seizures and predict the risk factors for seizure recurrence in patients with anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), anti-leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1 (LGI1), and anti-gamma-aminobutyric acid B receptor (GABABR) encephalitis.

Methods: In this retrospective study, we included hospitalized patients who had been diagnosed with anti-NMDAR, anti-LGI1, and anti-GABABR encephalitis between November 2014 and April 2021. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the potential risk factors for seizure recurrence.

Results: In total, 262 patients with anti-NMDAR, anti-LGI1, and anti-GABABR encephalitis were included, 197 (75.2%) of whom presented with acute symptomatic seizures. During follow-up, 42 patients exhibited seizure recurrence. In anti-NMDAR encephalitis, frontal lobe abnormality on brain magnetic resonance imaging, delayed immunotherapy, early seizures, and focal motor onset were associated with seizure recurrence.

Conclusions: Acute symptomatic seizure is a common clinical feature observed in patients with anti-NMDAR, anti-LGI1, and anti-GABABR encephalitis, with 50% of patients presenting with seizures as an initial symptom. The prognosis of patients with acute symptomatic seizures can be improved after receiving immunotherapy. Nevertheless, a minority of patients will experience seizure recurrence; therefore, restarting immunotherapy is recommended.