Autoimmune musicogenic epilepsy associated with anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies and Stiff-person syndrome

Joana Jesus-Ribeiro; Alireza Bozorgi; Modhi Alkhaldi; Mahmoud Shaqfeh; Guadalupe Fernandez-Baca Vaca; Bashar Katirji

doi:10.1002/ccr3.2538

Autoimmune musicogenic epilepsy associated with anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies and Stiff-person syndrome

Clin Case Rep. 2019 Dec 12;8(1):61-64. doi: 10.1002/ccr3.2538. eCollection 2020 Jan.

Authors

Joana Jesus-Ribeiro¹, Alireza Bozorgi², Modhi Alkhaldi², Mahmoud Shaqfeh², Guadalupe Fernandez-Baca Vaca², Bashar Katirji²

Affiliations

¹ Neurology Department Coimbra University Hospital Center Coimbra Portugal.
² Neurology Department University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Cleveland OH USA.

Abstract

Epilepsy should be suspected in patients with Stiff-person syndrome and new onset paroxysmal episodes. Musicogenic epilepsy may be a manifestation of anti-GAD-Ab spectrum, supporting an autoimmune workup in these patients. Appropriate treatment is not well established, and immunotherapy should be considered in patients with only partial response to antiepileptic drugs.

Keywords: Stiff‐person syndrome; anti‐glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies; autoimmune epilepsy; musicogenic seizure; reflex seizure; temporal lobe epilepsy.

Publication types

Case Reports