Which antibody tests are most useful in the diagnosis of autoimmune encephalitis, and how should I interpret their results?

The provided clinical guidelines and literature do not specifically detail which antibody tests are most useful for the diagnosis of autoimmune encephalitis or how their results should be interpreted.

However, the importance of neural antibodies in autoimmune neurological conditions is recognized (Dubey, 2024). Autoantibodies are also discussed in the context of predicting, preventing, and treating neurological toxicity related to immune checkpoint inhibitors (Vogrig et al., 2025). While not specific to autoimmune encephalitis diagnosis, these references highlight the general role of autoantibodies in neurological disorders.

The NICE guideline on epilepsies in children, young people, and adults suggests considering autoimmune causes when investigating epilepsy ². Autoimmune encephalitis can be an underlying cause of epilepsy, but this guideline does not specify the diagnostic antibody tests for the encephalitis itself ².