Long-term cognitive and neuropsychiatric outcomes of anti-GABA_BR encephalitis patients: A prospective study

Long-term cognitive and neuropsychiatric outcomes of anti-gamma-aminobutyric-acid B receptor (anti-GABA_BR) encephalitis are unclear. In this prospective study, 31 patients with anti-GABA_BR encephalitis were underwent cognitive and neuropsychiatric evaluations every 6 months. At 24 months' follow-up, cognitive impairments were observed in 80% of patients that mainly included deficits in memory, executive functions and nonverbal reasoning; and neuropsychiatric symptoms were observed in 50% of patients that mainly included depressive symptoms and irritation. The risk factors associated with cognitive deficits was age > 45 years. This study demonstrated that most patients with anti-GABA_BR encephalitis had persistent cognitive deficits and neuropsychiatric symptoms.