Neuroinflammation and Neuroinfection | Immune Dysfunction in Neuroinflammation and Neuroinfection*
Date: October 18, 2026
Time: 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm
Room: Coral 3
Track: Cross-Cutting Special Interest Group (SIG)
Session Description
Immune dysfunction is increasingly recognized as a central driver of both neuroinflammatory disorders and susceptibility to neuroinfectious diseases. In this Special Interest Group session, we will examine how abnormalities in immune pathways can give rise to a wide spectrum of neurological syndromes, often presenting initially as unexplained inflammation or infection of the central nervous system. The session will begin with a clinical overview of the presentation and diagnostic challenges associated with neuroinflammatory and neuroinfectious conditions, followed by discussion of underlying immune mechanisms and emerging therapeutic approaches.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this session, attendees will be able to:
- Characterize the clinical presentation and diagnostic challenges of neuroinflammatory and neuroinfectious diseases encountered in neurological practice.
- Describe acquired and genetic immune dysfunctions that predispose individuals to inflammatory and infectious neurological conditions.
- Discuss therapeutic strategies targeting immunologic mechanisms in neuroinflammatory diseases.
Speakers
- (Chair) Felicia Chow, MD, MAS, FANA
- (Co-Chair) Farinaz Safavi, MD, PhD
- (Speaker) Lori Broderick, MD, PhD
- (Speaker) Yair Mina, MD
- (Speaker) Greer Waldrop, MD, ScM
- (Speaker) Abhinav Maddipati, MBBS (2026 SIG Oral Presenter)
- (Speaker) Mohammadsobhan Andalibi, MD (2026 SIG Oral Presenter)
Neuroinflammation in Autoinflammatory Disease
Description
Autoinflammatory diseases are a rapidly expanding group of inherited disorders caused by dysregulation of the innate immune system. Although these conditions are classically associated with recurrent fever and systemic inflammation affecting the skin, joints, muscles, and serosal surfaces, neurological manifestations may be the earliest or most prominent feature, presenting important diagnostic and therapeutic challenges for neurologists.
This presentation will introduce the spectrum of genetic autoinflammatory diseases that present with neuroinflammation through a series of illustrative case-based discussions. Participants will review the underlying mechanisms of innate immune dysfunction, examine the clinical features and neurological manifestations of these rare disorders, and explore current approaches to diagnosis and management. Topics will also include emerging therapeutic strategies and the importance of early recognition to improve patient outcomes.
Attendees will leave with a greater understanding of the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and treatment of neuroinflammatory manifestations of autoinflammatory diseases, along with practical insights to aid in the recognition and management of these uncommon but increasingly recognized disorders.
Neurological Manifestations of Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Infection in Adults: The Role of Underlying Immune Dysregulation
Description
Nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections are an uncommon but increasingly recognized cause of central nervous system disease in adults with underlying immune dysfunction. Identifying the immunologic mechanisms that predispose patients to these infections is essential for timely diagnosis, appropriate treatment, and improved neurological outcomes.
This presentation will examine the neurological manifestations of NTM infections in adults and the underlying immune defects that increase susceptibility to central nervous system involvement. Drawing on findings from a recent NIH case series, participants will review the clinical spectrum, neuroimaging characteristics, diagnostic evaluation, and management challenges associated with CNS NTM disease. Topics will include inherited and acquired disorders of interferon-γ immunity, including monogenic immunodeficiencies and anti-interferon-γ autoantibodies, and how recognition of these immune abnormalities can guide diagnostic evaluation, therapeutic decision-making, and multidisciplinary patient care.
Attendees will leave with a greater understanding of the relationship between immune dysregulation and neuroinfectious disease, along with practical insights into recognizing, diagnosing, and managing neurological manifestations of nontuberculous mycobacterial infections in adults.
Cases from the Clinic
Description
Neuroinflammatory disorders resulting from underlying genetic immune dysregulation present unique diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. As advances in genetics and immunology continue to reshape the field of neuroimmunology, recognizing these rare disorders has become increasingly important for guiding targeted evaluation and personalized treatment strategies.
This presentation will feature a series of case-based discussions highlighting the diagnosis and management of neuroinflammatory disorders associated with genetic immune dysregulation. Participants will examine real-world clinical cases that illustrate the diverse presentations of these conditions, review the diagnostic approaches used to identify underlying genetic etiologies, and discuss how these findings influence treatment selection and long-term management. Topics will also include key lessons learned from clinical experience and the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration in caring for patients with these complex disorders.
Attendees will leave with a greater understanding of the clinical manifestations of neuroinflammatory disorders caused by genetic immune dysregulation and practical insights for recognizing these conditions, applying appropriate diagnostic strategies, and delivering individualized, evidence-based care.
Neurosarcoidosis in a Tuberculosis-Endemic Region: Clinical Spectrum, Diagnostic Challenges, and Treatment Outcomes
Description
Neurosarcoidosis is a rare and heterogeneous manifestation of sarcoidosis affecting the central and peripheral nervous systems, with a clinical and radiological presentation that closely mimic other granulomatous and infectious disorders. This diagnostic challenge is amplified in tuberculosis-endemic regions, where neurosarcoidosis and neurotuberculosis share overlapping clinical features, imaging findings, and CSF profiles, often without definitive microbiological confirmation. This makes accurate and timely diagnosis critical to avoiding inappropriate or delayed treatment.
This presentation will examine the clinical spectrum, diagnostic challenges, and treatment outcomes of neurosarcoidosis in a TB-endemic setting, drawing on a 39-patient cohort. Participants will review the range of neurological phenotypes observed—including cranial neuropathy, meningeal disease, and peripheral neuropathy—alongside diagnostic classification, laboratory and imaging findings, and treatment approaches.
Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how neurosarcoidosis presents and practical strategies for distinguishing neurosarcoidosis from tuberculosis using clinical, radiological, and histopathological data.
Circulating Microbial DNA Signatures Associated with Cognitive Impairment in People with HIV
Description
Even with effective antiretroviral therapy, neurocognitive impairment remains common in people with HIV. Persistent immune activation and systemic inflammation are widely implicated in HIV pathogenesis. Growing evidence points to the gut microbiome and the gut–brain axis: HIV-associated disruption of the intestinal barrier permits microbial translocation into the systemic circulation, sustaining the inflammation thought to contribute to neuroinflammation and neuronal injury. Most of this work has centered on the gut, yet the circulating microbiome, the microbial DNA detectable in plasma, remains poorly understood in relation to neurocognitive outcomes.
This presentation will report findings from a study of the circulating microbiome and neurocognitive status in a large, well-characterized cohort of people with HIV, drawing on plasma 16S rRNA gene sequencing from 480 participants enrolled in the HIV Neurobehavioral Research Program (HNRP) at UC San Diego.
Attendees will examine how the overall structure of the plasma microbial community and specific bacterial genera differ by cognitive status, review how antiretroviral therapy and hepatitis C virus coinfection modify these associations, and discuss the methodological considerations inherent to low-biomass plasma microbiome analysis. Attendees will leave with a greater understanding of the circulating microbiome as a measurable signature of neurocognitive status in people with HIV. They will also gain practical insight into how plasma microbial signatures might be developed and validated as biomarkers, and used to probe the biology linking the gut–brain axis to cognition in HIV.
