Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37420168›Full record

ReviewBMC neurology2023

Effectiveness of intra-thecal methotrexate in refractory Anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor encephalitis.

Raid Hommady, Abdullah Alsohibani, Ruba Alayed, Abdulaziz Alshehri, Ahlam AbuMelha, Lama Aljomah, Khalid Hundallah, Mohammed Almuqbil, Waleed Altuwaijri, Ahmad Alrumayyan and 2 more

Open access · goldAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in BMC neurology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 20% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Intrathecal treatment of Anti-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptor encephalitis: a promising approach for refractory cases.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2025
    Review
  3. Article
  4. Immunotherapy for autoimmune encephalitis.Cell death discovery · 2025
    Review
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Raid Hommady *College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Abdullah Alsohibani *College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ruba Alayed *College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Abdulaziz Alshehri *Department of Pediatric Neurology, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ahlam AbuMelha *College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Lama Aljomah *College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Khalid Hundallah *Department of Pediatric Neurology, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed Almuqbil *College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Waleed Altuwaijri *College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmad Alrumayyan *College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Muhammad Talal Alrifai *College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Duaa Mohammed BaarmahDepartment of Pediatrics, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz University Hospital, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Duaa.Baarmah@gmail.com.
King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences · SAKing Abdullah International Medical Research Center · SARiyadh Armed Forces Hospital · SANational Guard Health Affairs · SAPrincess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University · SA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAnti-N-methyl-d-aspartate "anti-NMDA" receptor encephalitis is one of the most common autoimmune encephalitis for which first- and second-line therapies have been recommended following international consensus. However, some refractory cases do not respond to the first- and second-line therapy and require further immune-modulatory therapies such as intra-thecal methotrexate. In this study, we reviewed six confirmed cases of refractory anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis from two tertiary centers in Saudi Arabia that required escalation of treatment and received a six-month course of intra-thecal methotrexate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of intra-thecal methotrexate as immunomodulatory therapy for refractory anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis.

methodsWe retrospectively evaluated six confirmed cases of refractory anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis who did not improve after first- and second-line therapy and received monthly intra-thecal methotrexate treatment course for six consecutive months. We reviewed patient demography, underlying etiologies, and compared their modified Rankin score prior to receiving intra-thecal methotrexate and six months after completing the treatment.

resultsThree of the six patients showed a marked response to intra-thecal methotrexate with a modified Rankin scale of 0-1 at 6-month follow-up. None of the patients experienced any side effects during or after intra-thecal methotrexate treatment, and no flareups were observed.

conclusionIntra-thecal methotrexate may be a potentially effective and relatively safe escalation option for immunomodulatory therapy of refractory anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis. Future studies on intra-thecal methotrexate -specific treatment regimens may further support its utility, efficacy, and safety in treating refractory anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis.

Indexed as

Anti-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor EncephalitisHashimoto DiseaseAntibodiesHumansMethotrexateReceptors, N-Methyl-D-AspartateRetrospective StudiesAntibodiesMethotrexateReceptors, N-Methyl-D-AspartateAutoimmune encephalitis2Intra-thecal immunotherapy4Methotrexate3Refractory NMDA encephalitis1

Identifiers

PMID37420168
PMCPMC10327370
OpenAlexW4383553939

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.