Neurological autoimmune diseases cause your immune system to attack your central or peripheral nervous systems. Multiple sclerosis is the most common and well-known, but several of these conditions exist.

Autoimmune diseases cause your immune system to attack your body’s healthy cells and tissues rather than infectious or harmful materials.

When your immune system targets your nervous system, it affects the functions of your central nervous system (CNS) or peripheral nervous system (PNS). This can lead to neurological symptoms.

Of the more than 80 autoimmune diseases known to scientists, about 30 can affect the nervous system.

If you develop sudden or gradual neurological symptoms, it’s important to see a doctor.

MS is a chronic and progressive autoimmune condition experts think may be due to a combination of genetic, immune, and environmental factors.

Known for its effects on the CNS, MS can lead to numerous types of neurological symptoms, including:

  • numbness
  • cognitive impairment
  • vision problems
  • bladder issues
  • sleep disturbances
  • walking difficulties

MS treatment primarily focuses on preventing flare-ups and slowing progression and may include immunosuppressive drugs, steroids, and other therapies.

Like MS, NMO is a type of autoimmune disease that affects the CNS. While MS affects the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerve, there is no brain involvement in NMO. It primarily affects the spinal cord and optic nerves.

The exact cause of NMO is unknown, though it typically starts during childhood or later in adulthood, around age 40 years.

Common symptoms of NMO include:

  • vision problems associated with optic neuritis
  • weakness associated with transverse myelitis
  • severe nausea, vomiting, or both
  • bladder and bowel control issues

Treatment for NMO may involve corticosteroids or immunosuppressant drugs. A doctor may also consider biologics and plasma exchange.

A mild infection can trigger GBS, a rare autoimmune disorder. GBS affects the PNS, leading to symptoms such as tingling, numbness, and weakness. Untreated GBS usually progresses to paralysis.

Treatment for GBS primarily involves hospitalization along with plasma exchange or intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) to help stop disease progression.

While about 80% of people with GBS recover, lingering symptoms such as pain and fatigue may continue for years or longer.

AIE is a rare type of inflammation in the brain. However, it’s the most common form of noninfectious encephalitis.

AIE symptoms may include sudden changes in memory or mental state, as well as new seizures or psychosis. These symptoms can develop within a few weeks to months.

Immunosuppressant drugs, monoclonal antibodies, and IVIG are among the possible treatment options for AIE. With early diagnosis and treatment, your outlook with AIE is usually positive, though regular follow-ups are still needed.

CNS vasculitis is a rare type of blood vessel inflammation that affects the CNS. Early symptoms include headaches, forgetfulness, and coordination problems. It mostly affects adult males and peaks at age 50.

Vasculitis itself can cause restricted blood flow in your blood vessels. If this affects the blood vessels in your CNS, you may be at an increased risk of developing brain swelling, paralysis, and stroke.

A doctor may prescribe immunosuppressants or steroids to help treat the underlying inflammation causing CNS vasculitis. This will reduce symptoms and possibly prevent disease progression.

Lupus can affect your CNS, causing symptoms such as brain fog or confusion. Some people with CNS lupus may also experience seizures or stroke.

A doctor can help determine if your symptoms are related to lupus and may also modify your treatment plan if you’re experiencing signs of a flare-up.

Myelitis is inflammation of the spinal cord. Transverse myelitis is inflammation that affects one level of the spinal cord across both sides of the spinal cord. (“Transverse” means “extending across.”)

Transverse myelitis has possible links to neurological conditions like MS. Infections or other autoimmune diseases may also cause it, or it may be idiopathic, meaning its cause is unknown.

Symptoms often come on suddenly and may include:

When left untreated, transverse myelitis may lead to long-term complications, such as permanent paralysis and chronic pain. Some people recover within a few months, while others may experience more progressive forms of this condition.

Inflammation of the optic nerve in the eye causes optic neuritis. It can affect one or both eyes at the same time.

The optic nerve is responsible for helping you see clearly. If this nerve becomes inflamed, you may experience symptoms such as:

MS is the most common cause of optic neuritis, but it can also occur as part of lupus or other immune disorders.

To help reduce the underlying inflammation, doctors typically treat optic neuritis with corticosteroids.

Meningitis is a serious condition in which the membranes and fluids surrounding the brain and spinal cord become inflamed. It’s a medical emergency typically due to an infection.

When meningitis lasts for more than 4 weeks, a doctor may diagnose chronic meningitis. Sometimes chronic meningitis has noninfectious causes, such as autoimmune diseases, inflammatory conditions, or cancer.

Symptoms of chronic meningitis are similar to those of acute cases caused by bacterial and viral infections. These include:

  • headaches
  • stiff neck
  • fever
  • rash
  • sensitivity to light
  • weakness and fatigue
  • confusion
  • seizures

Treatment for chronic meningitis depends on the underlying cause. It may involve medications to reduce underlying inflammation, autoimmune disease, or infection.

Bell’s palsy causes temporary weakness or paralysis in the facial muscles that appear suddenly over 2 to 3 days. Symptoms can often resemble a stroke.

While the exact cause is unknown, a dormant infection often triggers Bell’s palsy, and research suggests that it may be due to an autoimmune response.

Symptoms of Bell’s palsy often resolve on their own in a few weeks. However, treatments may include steroids, antivirals, Botox, or surgery as a last resort.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) causes immune cells to attack nerve cells that communicate with your skeletal muscles. This can cause muscle weakness and paralysis. Symptoms include:

  • drooping eyelids
  • weakness in the eye muscles
  • blurred or double vision
  • changes in facial expression
  • difficulty chewing, swallowing, or speaking
  • weakness in the limbs

About 15% to 20% of people with MG may experience a myasthenic crisis, a life threatening condition that occurs when MG affects your breathing.

Treating MG may involve medications, plasma exchange, IVIG, or surgery.

Hashimoto encephalitis is a type of brain inflammation that may be related to Hashimoto thyroiditis. People with Hashimoto encephalitis may have antithyroid antibodies from their immune system.

The exact relationship between these two conditions isn’t well established. However, experts do know that the condition is rare, affecting about 2.1 in 100,000 people, mostly adult females, per the National Organization for Rare Disorders.

Symptoms may be progressive, or they can come and go. Possible symptoms include:

Treatment may involve steroids, immunosuppressants, and antiseizure medications.

Sarcoidosis typically affects major organs, such as your lungs, but can affect any part of the body. When it affects your CNS, a doctor may confirm you have neurological sarcoidosis (neurosarcoidosis).

Experts estimate that between 5% and 10% of people with sarcoidosis develop neurosarcoidosis. Some people do not experience any symptoms. If you do have symptoms, they can vary based on the nerves affected and may include:

Treatment may involve steroids to reduce inflammation, immunosuppressants, or low dose radiation if medications don’t help. Some people with neurosarcoidosis may reach remission, while other cases may be progressive.

Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody disease (MOGAD) is a type of autoimmune disease that involves antibody attacks against MOG in your CNS. This can cause disruptions in nerve signals.

In adults, doctors sometimes misdiagnose MOGAD as MS due to similarities in symptoms. These can include symptoms of both optic myelitis and transverse myelitis, such as vision changes, muscle weakness or spasticity, and paralysis.

MOGAD presents differently in children, who are more likely to experience:

  • double vision
  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • lack of coordination
  • confusion

There are currently no FDA-approved treatments for MOGAD, though doctors may prescribe certain medications off-label. Acute treatments may include plasma exchange, intravenous steroids, and IVIG.

You may not think of the sleep disorder narcolepsy as an autoimmune disease, but there’s increasing evidence that it is. Narcolepsy is a neurological condition that affects your ability to control your sleep-wake cycle, causing excessive daytime sleepiness and loss of muscle control in some cases.

Narcolepsy can develop at any time, but research indicates that it tends to develop in adolescence or middle adulthood. Management strategies typically involve medication and behavior modification.

Other known but less common types of neurological autoimmune conditions include:

  • Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM): Also called post-infectious encephalomyelitis, ADEM develops rapidly and might be triggered by infections, such as herpes or hepatitis, or immunizations. It affects less than 1 out of 100,000 children per year.
  • Behcet’s disease: Behcet’s disease is a rare condition that can cause brain inflammation. It primarily affects adults between ages 20 and 40 years old.
  • Hypertrophic pachymeningitis (HP): This rare condition primarily affects the dura mater in the brain and spinal cord and may lead to complications such as chronic headaches, cerebrospinal fluid buildup, and nerve palsies.
  • Lambert-Eaton syndrome: Like MG, Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS), another name for Lambert-Eaton syndrome, affects communication between your nerves and muscles, causing muscle weakness. Unlike MG, LEMS typically develops in people with small cell lung cancer and is more common in males.
  • Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes: With some types of cancer, the immune system may mistakenly attack healthy systems in the body, including your nervous system.
  • Stiff person syndrome (SPS): This neurological disorder causes stiffness in the arms, torso, and legs, with muscle spasms also progressing over time. While the exact cause is unknown, SPS is common alongside autoimmune disorders such as thyroiditis, type 1 diabetes, and vitiligo.
  • Steroid-responsive encephalopathy associated with autoimmune thyroiditis (SREAT): SREAT may occur in people with autoimmune thyroiditis while tapering off steroid treatments. The exact causes are unknown, and SREAT may be difficult to diagnose and treat due to nonspecific symptoms.
  • Susac syndrome: Susac syndrome can cause neurological symptoms such as headaches, speech problems, and gait issues. This extremely rare condition has only several hundred confirmed cases.

Neurological autoimmune diseases cause your immune system to attack your CNS or PNS. While the exact underlying causes are unknown, many of these conditions have links to previous infections or other types of autoimmune diseases.

If you think you or a loved one might be experiencing symptoms of a neurological autoimmune disease, it’s crucial that you get medical attention. Early diagnosis and treatment may help reduce symptoms and, depending on the condition, help reduce disease progression.