Loading ...HPV (and COVID) Vaccination May Trigger Rare And Often Misdiagnosed Autoimmune Brain Disease
Anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor encephalitis has been linked to several vaccines, including HPV and COVID-19 vaccination.
New research suggests the human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) can trigger a rare autoimmune brain disorder that causes psychiatric or neurological symptoms following vaccination—and is easily mistaken as psychosis in its early stages.
Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis is an acute autoimmune disorder where the body creates antibodies against the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors in the brain. NMDA is a receptor of the amino acid glutamate. Glutamate is the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter released by the brain’s nerve cells and plays a crucial role in learning and memory formation.
When the anti-NMDA antibodies attack the brain, they disrupt normal brain signaling, causing swelling—or encephalitis—and a host of neuropsychiatric symptoms such as hallucinations, cognitive disturbances, paranoia, aggression, epilepsy, movement disorder, impaired consciousness, and speech disorders. It’s these symptoms that often cause the condition to be misdiagnosed in its early stage as psychosis.