Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor （NMDAR） encephalitis is an autoimmune inflammation of the central nervous system （CNS） mediated by antibodies. Detectability of antibodies provides a new opportunity for us to further understand the autoimmune diseases of CNS. The disease is characterized by serious， complex and neuropsychiatric syndromes with many stages， but partially reversible. With early diagnosis and treatment， the prognosis of patients generally is good. This article mainly reviews the immunological progress of anti-NMDAR encephalitis， which is helpful for clinicians to further understand and investigate the mechanism of this disease.