Using RBANS to characterize cognitive treatment response in autoimmune encephalopathy

Introduction: Autoimmune encephalopathy (AE) is an increasingly recognized cause of cognitive impairment. This study investigates the use of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) to characterize treatment response of AE cognitive symptoms in ambulatory clinical practice. Methods: Retrospective evaluation of 29 consecutive patients treated for AE at the University of Cincinnati Memory Disorders Clinic. All patients underwent RBANS before treatment and 4–5 weeks after treatment. The Reliable Change index and clinically meaningful improvement method were used to determine if changes in RBANS performance were clinically significant. Results: Clinically meaningful improvement was seen in 20 out of 29 (69 %) subjects on one or more RBANS domains and in 13 patients (45 %) for the global RBANS index. Measured improvement on one or more cognitive domain scores showed excellent agreement with clinical impression of change. Conclusion: The RBANS provided an efficient and effective means to document cognitive outcomes and treatment response in AE. The brief administration time, availability of normative data, and alternate versions make the RBANS useful in clinical practice and in clinical research related to AE.