Sometimes, the immune system runs amok and attacks the organ that makes us “us” — the brain. It's called autoimmune encephalitis but one California man dubbed it his “year of unraveling.”

Christy Morrill went for a bike ride with friends, stopping for lunch — and no one noticed anything wrong until Morrill's wife asked how the outing went. He'd forgotten. And he would get worse before he got better.

Of all the ways autoimmune diseases can damage the body instead of protecting it, hijacking the brain is one of the most bizarre. Seemingly healthy people can abruptly spiral with confusion, memory loss, seizures, even psychosis. Doctors are getting better at diagnosing it, thanks to discoveries of a growing list of rogue antibodies responsible.

With early diagnosis and treatment, some peopl

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