APE score
New-onset, rapidly progressive mental status changes of 1-6 weeks, or new-onset seizure activity
+1
Neuropsychiatric changes; agitation, aggressiveness, emotional lability
+1
Autonomic dysfunction (presenting as labile blood pressure, labile heart rate, persistent tachycardia, postural hypertension)
+1
Viral prodrome (runny nose, sore throat, low-grade fever), only to be scored in absence of underlying malignancy
+2
Facial dyskinesias or faciobrachial dystonic movements
+2
Seizure refractory to at least 2 antiseizure medications
+2
CSF findings consistent with inflammation (elevated CSF protein level >50mg/dL and/or lymphocytic pleocytosis >5 cells/dL, if the total number of CSF RBCs is <1000 cells/dL)
+2
Brain MRI showing signal changes consistent with limbic encephalitis (medial temporal T2/FLAIR signal changes)
+2
Presence of underlying malignancy (excluding cutaneous squamous cell or basal cell carcinomas)
+2
References
Neurological Autoantibody Prevalence in Epilepsy of Unknown Etiology Apr 1;74(4):397-402
doi:
10.1001/jamaneurol.2016.5429
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