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Our objective was to characterize the patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis and identify the most common presenting symptoms and etiologies.

Anti N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is a specific autoimmune CNS disorder that decouples electrochemical synapses from their neuronal network, causing seizures, neuropsychiatric symptoms, movement problems, and autonomic dysfunction. Although well studied in the adult population, the clinical characteristics and potential triggers in pediatric cases of anti-NMDAR encephalitis are not well understood.

We retrospectively analyzed patients with anti-NMDAR at Texas Children's Hospital (TCH) between 2010 and 2021, characterizing the demographics, presenting symptoms, and underlying etiologies.

Of the 65 pediatric cases at TCH, our cohort is 65% female and 62% Hispanic, which is 1.6 times higher …