Review of Some Autoimmune Diseases Causing Brain Damage

Abstract

This review classifies autoimmune brain diseases into three groups: (1) demyelinating disorders — multiple sclerosis (MS), acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis (AHLE), neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD/AQP4), MOG-antibody disease, and Susac syndrome; (2) non-demyelinating parenchymal disorders - autoimmune encephalitis (surface and intracellular antibodies), Rasmussen encephalitis, Hashimoto encephalopathy, and lupus cerebritis; and (3) meningeal-predominant disorders such as sarcoidosis and rheumatoid arthritis. The article details the characteristic clinical and MRI features of each condition to aid differential diagnosis in clinical practice.