Autoimmune Encephalitis: When Your Immune System Attacks Your Brain

Understanding Autoimmune Encephalitis

• 🧠 Autoimmune encephalitis occurs when the body's own immune system mistakenly identifies brain and spinal cord tissue as foreign.
• 🚇 The brain and spinal cord are organized like a subway map, with different areas controlling specific bodily functions such as vision, motor skills, sensory input, executive planning, memory, and mood.

The Immune System's Attack

• 💥 The immune system's attack can be likened to destroying neighborhoods, knocking down buildings, or damaging the entire train system within the brain.
• ⚠️ This autoimmune response can lead to a syndrome characterized by personality changes, behavioral changes, memory issues, psychosis, and delusions.

Impact on Identity

• 🎭 Families often report significant changes in personality and erratic behavior in affected individuals.
• 🧩 The symptoms of autoimmune encephalitis can impair deep, mysterious aspects of what constitutes an individual's core identity.