Social anxiety disorder and antibodies against glial cells in the cerebrospinal fluid
This is the first description of a case with evidence of a possible antibody-mediated cerebellar dysfunction associated with social anxiety disorder. The testing for all characterized neuronal/glial antibodies showed only weakly positive recoverin antibodies in the serum, which, however, were not detectable in the CSF. Therefore, novel CSF antibodies directed against cell nuclei of the Bergmann glia in the cerebellum could be assumed. DMI alterations in the cerebellum were in principle compatible with neuroinflammation with edematization and cellular activation. In addition, the further DMI alterations in the striatum and the fronto-temporal generators of EEG slowing suggest an involvement of the "anxiety network". Further immunopsychiatric research in anxiety disorders might contribute to identifying an autoimmune subtype and potentially immunomodulatory treatment options.
Authors
- Bernd Feige (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9436-1258)
- Katharina Domschke (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2550-9132)
- Nils Venhoff (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7729-2759)
- Katharina von Zedtwitz
- Miriam A. Schiele (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2613-6515)
- Ludger Tebartz van Elst (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2274-5447)
- Harald Prüß (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8283-7976)
- Jessica A. Weiser
- Simon Maier (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4285-8174)
- Raphael J. Dressle (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9408-5196)
- Dominique Endres (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7322-1195)
- Kathrin Nickel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9863-317X)
- Alexander Rau (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5881-6043)
Institutions
- University of Freiburg (DE)
- University Medical Center Freiburg (DE)
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DE)
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DE)
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Brain Behavior & Immunity - Health
- Published
- 2025-07-19
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101064
- Primary Topic
- Tryptophan and brain disorders
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00