Prevalence of serum N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor autoantibodies in refractory psychosis. (February 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Beck, Katherine; Lally, John; Shergill, Sukhwinder S.; Bloomfield, Michael A. P.; MacCabe, James H.; Gaughran, Fiona; Howes, Oliver D.
• Is Part Of: British journal of psychiatry. Volume 206:Number 2(2015)
• Page Start: 164
• Page End: 165
• Publication Date: 2015-02
• Subjects: Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Psychology, Pathological -- Periodicals; 616.89005
• DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.113.142216
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0007-1250

Abstract

Summary: N -methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDA-R) autoantibodies have been reported in people with acute psychosis. We hypothesised that their presence may be implicated in the aetiology of treatment-refractory psychosis. We sought to ascertain the point prevalence of NMDA-R antibody positivity in patients referred to services for treatment-refractory psychosis. We found that 3 (7.0%) of 43 individuals had low positive NMDA-R antibody titres. This suggests that NMDA-R autoantibodies are unlikely to account for a large proportion of treatment-refractory psychosis.