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Potassium channel antibody associated encephalopathy presenting with a frontotemporal dementia like syndrome
McKeon A, Marnane M, O'connell M, Stack JP, Kelly PJ, Lynch T.. Archives of neurology, 2007-10-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Objective To describe a patient who presented with features suggestive of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) but with some atypical findings and antibodies to neuronal voltage-gated potassium channels (VGKC-Abs). Design Case report. Setting Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. Results An 82-year-old man presented with progressive changes in personality, social conduct, and executive function with preservation of memory, deteriorating from baseline to requiring acute hospitalization within 6 months. Transient deterioration (episodic speech arrest) with spontaneous recovery, atypical for frontotemporal dementia, was observed. The patient had an elevated VGKC-Ab titer (2624 pM [normal range, Conclusion Workup for a potentially reversible autoimmune-mediated encephalopathy, including a VGKC-Ab titer, should be considered in patients presenting with rapidly progressive behavioral and cognitive decline.
Key findings
- Results An 82-year-old man presented with progressive changes in personality, social conduct, and executive function with preservation of memory, deteriorating from baseline to requiring acute hospitalization within 6 months.
Why it matters
This case report describes one patient with frontotemporal-dementia-like symptoms who had elevated antibodies to neuronal voltage-gated potassium channels, suggesting a potentially reversible autoimmune encephalopathy. It is a single case and does not establish a treatment, cure, or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Study designcase report
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 41/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Archives of neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Archives of Neurology: journal h-index 353 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | Design recorded as “case report”, which our rubric does not rank (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2007 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (pubmed indexes it as a clinical or observational study) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 70 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 3.3 citations a year over 21 year(s) since 2007 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 4 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Timothy Lynch: h-index 63 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | University College Dublin: institution h-index 681 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 17923638) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 41 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
McKeon, A., Marnane, M., O'connell, M., Stack, J. P., Kelly, P. J., & Lynch, T. (2007). Potassium channel antibody associated encephalopathy presenting with a frontotemporal dementia like syndrome. Archives of neurology. https://doi.org/10.1001/archneur.64.10.1528
Vancouver
McKeon A, Marnane M, O'connell M, Stack JP, Kelly PJ, Lynch T. Potassium channel antibody associated encephalopathy presenting with a frontotemporal dementia like syndrome. Archives of neurology. 2007. doi:10.1001/archneur.64.10.1528. PMID: 17923638.
BibTeX
@article{mckeon2007-17923638,
author = {McKeon, A. and Marnane, M. and O'connell, M. and Stack, J. P. and Kelly, P. J. and Lynch, T.},
title = {{Potassium channel antibody associated encephalopathy presenting with a frontotemporal dementia like syndrome}},
journal = {Archives of neurology},
year = {2007},
doi = {10.1001/archneur.64.10.1528},
pmid = {17923638},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1001/archneur.64.10.1528}
}
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