When the Immune System Stole His Memories: One Man’s Recovery from Autoimmune Encephalitis

Christy Morrill calls the months when his own immune system turned on his brain “my year of unraveling.” What began as an ordinary bike ride along the California coast ended with an alarming gap: he couldn’t remember the outing when his wife asked about it. Over time his condition worsened, with growing blanks in his memory, frightening delusions and seizures.

What is autoimmune encephalitis?

Autoimmune encephalitis is a group of disorders in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the brain, causing sudden and often dramatic changes in thinking, memory, behavior and consciousness. Symptoms can include confusion, memory loss, seizures and psychosis. People who seemed healthy one day can deteriorate rapidly the next.

How doctors diagnose and treat it

Physicians increasingly recognize autoimmune encephalitis because researchers have identified many of the antibodies that can cause it. Detecting these antibodies in blood or cerebrospinal fluid helps confirm the diagnosis. Doctors also rely on brain imaging, clinical exams and observations such as new-onset bizarre behavior or unexplained seizures to raise suspicion.

Treatment typically aims to calm brain inflammation and reduce harmful antibodies. Common approaches include high-dose corticosteroids, plasma exchange to remove antibodies from the blood, and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) to supply normal antibodies. Researchers are testing medications used in other autoimmune diseases in clinical trials to find more targeted therapies.

How antibodies affect the brain

Different antibodies create different symptom patterns depending on which brain regions they target. For example, anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis — first identified after discovery of the relevant antibody in 2007 — often produces dramatic changes in behavior and can be triggered in some patients by an ovarian dermoid cyst. Another antibody, LGI1, tends to affect memory centers and is more common in men over 50.

Personal stories: sudden loss, slow rebuilding

Kiara Alexander of Charlotte, North Carolina, experienced how subtle the illness can begin. Minor lapses and brief zoning-out episodes escalated to seizures. After a spinal tap revealed antibodies, she was hospitalized for a month, underwent surgery to remove an ovarian cyst, and took more than a year to recover fully and return to work.

In Morrill’s case, clinicians noticed an unusual pattern: he could still recite facts and spoke eloquently, yet he could not recall personal events. That contrast led neurologist Dr. Michael Cohen to order specialized testing. A seizure observed by a physician and subsequent testing confirmed LGI1-antibody encephalitis; MRI showed the memory center had been affected. Morrill lost decades of autobiographical memory — family gatherings, a year studying in Scotland, and other personal milestones — yet retained general knowledge such as literature facts.

"I lost total mental capacity and fell apart," Morrill said. He turned to writing haiku as a way to make sense of the experience and, months into treatment, began to feel hope.

Recovery, support and research

With early diagnosis and appropriate treatment, many patients recover significant function; others regain daily living skills but continue to face lasting deficits. Peer support, rehabilitation and follow-up care are crucial. The Autoimmune Encephalitis Alliance and similar groups connect patients and families, which can reduce isolation and improve recovery.

Scientists continue to discover new culprit antibodies and run clinical trials exploring targeted immunotherapies. While challenges remain — misdiagnoses as psychiatric disorders or other neurologic conditions can delay treatment — greater awareness among clinicians and the public is improving outcomes.

Five years after his illness began, Morrill says he still grieves lost memories but has rebuilt a life that includes new moments with grandchildren, outdoor activities and leading a local support group. "The present is what I have," he writes in haiku, representing a hard-won acceptance and renewed hope.