Atypical Presentation of Anti‐NMDAR Encephalitis in an Elderly Male With Dominated Memory Impairment From Damascus Hospital

ABSTRACT Anti‐N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is a rare but serious autoimmune disorder that is typically characterized by a broad spectrum of psychiatric and neurological symptoms. In the academic literature, memory deficits often occur alongside psychiatric symptoms, seizures, m...

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Main Authors: Hamza Warda, Ola Emad Alasmar, Abdulkareem Muhammad Wardeh, Ali Mohammad Ibrahem, Esraa Alsaadi, Heba Alsamara, Anas Jouhar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-09-01
Series:Clinical Case Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/ccr3.70817
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author Hamza Warda
Ola Emad Alasmar
Abdulkareem Muhammad Wardeh
Ali Mohammad Ibrahem
Esraa Alsaadi
Heba Alsamara
Anas Jouhar
author_facet Hamza Warda
Ola Emad Alasmar
Abdulkareem Muhammad Wardeh
Ali Mohammad Ibrahem
Esraa Alsaadi
Heba Alsamara
Anas Jouhar
author_sort Hamza Warda
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT Anti‐N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is a rare but serious autoimmune disorder that is typically characterized by a broad spectrum of psychiatric and neurological symptoms. In the academic literature, memory deficits often occur alongside psychiatric symptoms, seizures, motor dysfunctions, and other cognitive issues; it is rare to find it dominated by memory impairment with only one previous seizure. We present a unique presentation of anti‐NMDAR encephalitis in a 70‐year‐old Middle Eastern male patient who primarily exhibited memory impairment along with one unrepeated recent seizure. The patient's initial clinical picture did not align with the classic presentation of anti‐NMDAR encephalitis, which often includes prominent psychiatric symptoms and neurological features of motor dysfunction. However, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electroencephalography (EEG), and the presence of anti‐NMDAR antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid support the diagnosis. Physicians should be aware to consider anti‐NMDAR encephalitis in patients with memory impairment and a single previous seizure, even in the absence of typical psychiatric or neurological features.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2050-0904
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publishDate 2025-09-01
publisher Wiley
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series Clinical Case Reports
spelling doaj-art-aa3e8144f5724910808eaf9cd745300d2025-08-25T13:06:34ZengWileyClinical Case Reports2050-09042025-09-01139n/an/a10.1002/ccr3.70817Atypical Presentation of Anti‐NMDAR Encephalitis in an Elderly Male With Dominated Memory Impairment From Damascus HospitalHamza Warda0Ola Emad Alasmar1Abdulkareem Muhammad Wardeh2Ali Mohammad Ibrahem3Esraa Alsaadi4Heba Alsamara5Anas Jouhar6Department of Internal Medecine Homs University Hospital Homs SyriaDepartment of Neurology Damascus Hospital Damascus SyriaCancer Research Center at Tishreen University Latakia SyriaMaternity University Hospital, Damascus University Damascus SyriaDepartment of Neurology Damascus Hospital Damascus SyriaDepartment of Neurology Damascus Hospital Damascus SyriaDepartment of Neurology Damascus Hospital Damascus SyriaABSTRACT Anti‐N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is a rare but serious autoimmune disorder that is typically characterized by a broad spectrum of psychiatric and neurological symptoms. In the academic literature, memory deficits often occur alongside psychiatric symptoms, seizures, motor dysfunctions, and other cognitive issues; it is rare to find it dominated by memory impairment with only one previous seizure. We present a unique presentation of anti‐NMDAR encephalitis in a 70‐year‐old Middle Eastern male patient who primarily exhibited memory impairment along with one unrepeated recent seizure. The patient's initial clinical picture did not align with the classic presentation of anti‐NMDAR encephalitis, which often includes prominent psychiatric symptoms and neurological features of motor dysfunction. However, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electroencephalography (EEG), and the presence of anti‐NMDAR antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid support the diagnosis. Physicians should be aware to consider anti‐NMDAR encephalitis in patients with memory impairment and a single previous seizure, even in the absence of typical psychiatric or neurological features.https://doi.org/10.1002/ccr3.70817anti‐N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor encephalitiscase reportmemory disordersN‐methyl‐D‐aspartatereceptorsseizures
spellingShingle Hamza Warda
Ola Emad Alasmar
Abdulkareem Muhammad Wardeh
Ali Mohammad Ibrahem
Esraa Alsaadi
Heba Alsamara
Anas Jouhar
Atypical Presentation of Anti‐NMDAR Encephalitis in an Elderly Male With Dominated Memory Impairment From Damascus Hospital
Clinical Case Reports
anti‐N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor encephalitis
case report
memory disorders
N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate
receptors
seizures
title Atypical Presentation of Anti‐NMDAR Encephalitis in an Elderly Male With Dominated Memory Impairment From Damascus Hospital
title_full Atypical Presentation of Anti‐NMDAR Encephalitis in an Elderly Male With Dominated Memory Impairment From Damascus Hospital
title_fullStr Atypical Presentation of Anti‐NMDAR Encephalitis in an Elderly Male With Dominated Memory Impairment From Damascus Hospital
title_full_unstemmed Atypical Presentation of Anti‐NMDAR Encephalitis in an Elderly Male With Dominated Memory Impairment From Damascus Hospital
title_short Atypical Presentation of Anti‐NMDAR Encephalitis in an Elderly Male With Dominated Memory Impairment From Damascus Hospital
title_sort atypical presentation of anti nmdar encephalitis in an elderly male with dominated memory impairment from damascus hospital
topic anti‐N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor encephalitis
case report
memory disorders
N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate
receptors
seizures
url https://doi.org/10.1002/ccr3.70817
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