Ho Chi Minh City: Girl has insomnia, cries and laughs at night, hospitalized with autoimmune encephalitis

Taking the medical history, it was noted that 5 days before being admitted to the hospital, T. suddenly fainted in class, then regained consciousness and went about his daily activities normally. However, he had unusual gestures and actions such as crying alone, laughing at night, and speaking uncontrollably.

When T. told her that she heard someone's voice, her mother was extremely worried and thought that her child was "possessed" so she planned to invite a shaman to her home to perform a spell on her child. However, after searching the internet for information about T.'s strange symptoms, the family decided to take her to Gia Dinh People's Hospital for treatment.

On March 21, Dr. Vo Van Tan, Head of the Department of Neurology, Gia Dinh People's Hospital, said that through examination and examination by doctors in the Pediatrics Department, T. was found to have disorientation in time, space and the ability to perform simple calculations, language disorders, sleep disorders and auditory hallucinations. Paraclinical results did not detect brain parenchymal lesions on MRI, but there was an increase in monocytes in the cerebrospinal fluid with positive anti-NMDA receptor antibodies - an important indicator in determining autoimmune encephalitis.

Doctor examines and talks with patient

PHOTO: BH

Baby T. was treated with medication according to the regimen. After more than 2 weeks of active treatment, with the coordination of the Neurology and Pediatrics departments, baby T.'s condition improved and he was discharged home.

One week after being discharged from the hospital, baby T. returned to the Pediatrics Department for a follow-up appointment. At this time, the baby's cognitive and communication abilities had gradually improved. The baby's mother said that the baby slept well at night and no longer talked to himself. These signs showed that baby T.'s recovery was starting to show results as the treatment regimen for autoimmune encephalitis.

Autoimmune encephalitis is a serious neurological disease.

Dr. Tan said that autoimmune encephalitis is a rare, serious neurological disease that occurs when the body's immune system attacks healthy nerve cells, causing brain inflammation. The disease often begins with psychiatric symptoms such as auditory hallucinations, delusions, anxiety, or behavioral changes that many people mistake for signs of schizophrenia or other psychological disorders.

"Autoimmune encephalitis is a disease with complex developments and the potential to affect life if not treated promptly. The disease is common in young women and is easily confused with mental disorders, leading to ineffective treatment and prolonged treatment time. In addition, many cases are mistaken and will seek out counter-medical treatment methods for this disease, delaying the treatment regimen later on," said Dr. Tan.

Pay attention when children show unusual signs of mental and cognitive disorders.

Specialist Doctor Pham Thi Hoang Oanh, Deputy Head of Pediatrics Department, Gia Dinh People's Hospital, said that about 30-50% of cases of autoimmune encephalitis have normal brain MRI results like the case of baby T. Therefore, a normal MRI in the first week of the disease cannot rule out the diagnosis. When a child has acute neurological symptoms about 3 months after a completely healthy previous history, it is necessary to suspect organic brain damage and perform additional specialized tests to confirm the diagnosis. This is extremely important because the prognosis is better if the disease is detected and treated early.

"Therefore, when seeing children with abnormal neurological symptoms such as mental disorders, cognitive disorders, behavioral disorders or sleep disorders, parents need to take their children to specialized medical facilities for timely examination and treatment. Do not let misunderstandings about autoimmune encephalitis lead to unfortunate consequences because children's mental and physical health is the most precious gift," Dr. Oanh advised.