Challenges in diagnosis and management in elderly presenting with very late-onset psychiatric symptoms and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor autoimmune encephalitis

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis presents with psychiatric and neurological symptoms at various stages of the disease course. We present the case of a 70-year-old elderly woman with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and a family history of psychotic disorder in her son with an illne...

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Main Authors: Anirban Dutta, Abhishek Ramesh, Harkishan Mamtani, Sandhya Mangalore, Shyam Sundar Arumugham, M Netravathi, Palanimuthu Thangaraju Sivakumar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2025-01-01
Series:Journal of Geriatric Mental Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/jgmh.jgmh_44_24
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author Anirban Dutta
Abhishek Ramesh
Harkishan Mamtani
Sandhya Mangalore
Shyam Sundar Arumugham
M Netravathi
Palanimuthu Thangaraju Sivakumar
author_facet Anirban Dutta
Abhishek Ramesh
Harkishan Mamtani
Sandhya Mangalore
Shyam Sundar Arumugham
M Netravathi
Palanimuthu Thangaraju Sivakumar
author_sort Anirban Dutta
collection DOAJ
description N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis presents with psychiatric and neurological symptoms at various stages of the disease course. We present the case of a 70-year-old elderly woman with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and a family history of psychotic disorder in her son with an illness of 8-year duration having initial episodes characterized by delusions of persecution, reference, auditory and visual hallucinations, aggression with subsequent episodes having additional features of suicidal ideations, and decreased food intake along with sensitivity to antipsychotics. The presence of fever, confusion, and faciobrachial movements in later course of illness revealed NMDAR positivity on further investigations and required continued care with immunomodulation, antipsychotics, and Electroconvulsive therapy. Affordability and poor compliance posed as serious challenges in the entire treatment process. Thus, the presentation of behavioral abnormalities in the elderly should be carefully evaluated and followed over time with due consideration given to atypical symptoms for alternate causes.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2348-9995
2395-3322
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
record_format Article
series Journal of Geriatric Mental Health
spelling doaj-art-e20a4237e0494be6bff1d9568e0cb0f02025-08-20T03:31:40ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of Geriatric Mental Health2348-99952395-33222025-01-01121262810.4103/jgmh.jgmh_44_24Challenges in diagnosis and management in elderly presenting with very late-onset psychiatric symptoms and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor autoimmune encephalitisAnirban DuttaAbhishek RameshHarkishan MamtaniSandhya MangaloreShyam Sundar ArumughamM NetravathiPalanimuthu Thangaraju SivakumarN-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis presents with psychiatric and neurological symptoms at various stages of the disease course. We present the case of a 70-year-old elderly woman with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and a family history of psychotic disorder in her son with an illness of 8-year duration having initial episodes characterized by delusions of persecution, reference, auditory and visual hallucinations, aggression with subsequent episodes having additional features of suicidal ideations, and decreased food intake along with sensitivity to antipsychotics. The presence of fever, confusion, and faciobrachial movements in later course of illness revealed NMDAR positivity on further investigations and required continued care with immunomodulation, antipsychotics, and Electroconvulsive therapy. Affordability and poor compliance posed as serious challenges in the entire treatment process. Thus, the presentation of behavioral abnormalities in the elderly should be carefully evaluated and followed over time with due consideration given to atypical symptoms for alternate causes.https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/jgmh.jgmh_44_24autoimmune encephalitiselectroconvulsive therapyn-methyl-d-aspartate receptor encephalitis
spellingShingle Anirban Dutta
Abhishek Ramesh
Harkishan Mamtani
Sandhya Mangalore
Shyam Sundar Arumugham
M Netravathi
Palanimuthu Thangaraju Sivakumar
Challenges in diagnosis and management in elderly presenting with very late-onset psychiatric symptoms and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor autoimmune encephalitis
Journal of Geriatric Mental Health
autoimmune encephalitis
electroconvulsive therapy
n-methyl-d-aspartate receptor encephalitis
title Challenges in diagnosis and management in elderly presenting with very late-onset psychiatric symptoms and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor autoimmune encephalitis
title_full Challenges in diagnosis and management in elderly presenting with very late-onset psychiatric symptoms and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor autoimmune encephalitis
title_fullStr Challenges in diagnosis and management in elderly presenting with very late-onset psychiatric symptoms and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor autoimmune encephalitis
title_full_unstemmed Challenges in diagnosis and management in elderly presenting with very late-onset psychiatric symptoms and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor autoimmune encephalitis
title_short Challenges in diagnosis and management in elderly presenting with very late-onset psychiatric symptoms and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor autoimmune encephalitis
title_sort challenges in diagnosis and management in elderly presenting with very late onset psychiatric symptoms and n methyl d aspartate receptor autoimmune encephalitis
topic autoimmune encephalitis
electroconvulsive therapy
n-methyl-d-aspartate receptor encephalitis
url https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/jgmh.jgmh_44_24
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