13/06/2026
From the brain inflammation collaborative, via The Network UK:
The immune system can attack the brain, causing sudden, severe psychosis. In other instances, the immune system attack can cause:
- chronic fatigue
- memory loss
- depression
- and more
Here is the science.
\ Autoimmune Psychosis History:
Autoimmune psychosis was first described in 2007, but psychiatrists and neurologists assumed the discovery wasn't relevant to their patients. That is quickly changing as research and treatment hubs are appearing across the world.
"We've been waiting for this moment, when everybody finally listened", explains neuroimmunologist Stacy Clardy (link below)
\ How Does This Happen?
Antibody production in response to a tumor or certain infections provides the antibodies needed to fight the infection or tumor. Under rare conditions, these antibodies can cross-react with CNS targets, causing disease.
\ Symptoms:
The hallmarks of autoantibody-driven psychosis are acute onset psychosis and seizures without a family history of schizophrenia. The symptoms include, but are not limited to:
- OCD
- seizures
- confusion
- depression
- aggression
- memory loss
- schizophrenia
- crushing fatigue
- suicidal thoughts
- movement disorders
\ Treatment:
The good news is that autoimmune forms of psychosis can be treated. "We want so desperately for it to be autoimmune. That means we can fix it!", explains Clardy.
Treatment involves corticosteroids, plasmapheresis (antibody removal from the blood), and/or an infusion of intravenous immunoglobulins (antibodies).
\ Treatment Advancements:
The National Institutes of Health is recruiting patients with newly diagnosed anti-NMDAR encephalitis to test inebilizumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting CD19 on B cells. This drug aims to reduce the abundance of cells that make antibodies, and thus autoantibodies. Trial results are expected by 2027.
\ Could It Be More Common Than We Realize?
Dr. Harald Pruss of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases found autoantibodies that target astrocytes in patients with depression (1).
He suggests that "high levels of some autoantibodies cause encephalitis [but at] lower levels the same autoantibodies or others might cause chronic psychiatric illness in a much larger population."
However, this provocative take requires a more rigorous assessment of the presence and function of autoantibodies in conditions like depression.
If that resonates with you, please give this a like and share!
Read more: https://www.science.org/content/article/inflamed-brain-can-trigger-psychosis-search-patients-might-cured
Speaking of autoantibodies and the nervous system, we just wrote an article breaking down the new manuscript by Akiko Iwasaki, Ph.D., David Patrino, Ph.D., and Carmen Scheibenbogen, Ph.D., which rigorously characterizes autoantibodies in those with Long COVID.
Substack Post:
https://braininflcollab.substack.com/publish/post/201315541?r=7xg71n&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Literature Cited:
1. Endres, D. Lerchenmuller, V. et al. Psychiatry Research. Nov 2022
A New Study Connects the Dots Between Autoantibodies, Neurological Long COVID Symptoms, and Potential Treatments
