The first description of an
autoimmune disease affecting the
brain was provided by
William Osler in 1895 where he described the occurrence of
psychosis in SLE. It hasn’t been until more recently that this hypothesis has gathered some momentum in neurology and
psychiatry.
Missing an autoimmune disease masquerading as a psychiatric disorder can have devastating consequences and in some cases, be fatal. The stark reality of missing such immune manifestations affecting the brain is highlighted in
this article .
The journalist Susannah Cahalan (see video below) brought this phenomenon to worldwide attention in her book
“Brain on Fire” through her first hand experience of anti-NMDA encephalitis that was misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder until a physician suspected an organic cause by taking a careful history and carrying out a clock drawing test which led to further investigations which subsequently picked up the disorder.
