Case report
Antipsychotic treatment of psychosis associated with multiple sclerosis

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Abstract

This case report deals with the antipsychotic treatment in multiple sclerosis (MS). Psychiatric symptoms are a frequent event in patients with MS. However, there are only few systematic studies of antipsychotic treatment in MS patients. Most of the studies are related to clozapine due to the lack of neurological, particularly extrapyramidal side effects (EPS). Therefore, experiences with other atypical drugs are requested. This paper discusses the pros and cons of different atypical drugs using the example of one patient, who showed adverse effects after treatment with quetiapine and olanzapine. Risperidone was not administered with respect to possible EPS. However, ziprasidone was tolerated well and appeared to be effective.

Introduction

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is frequently associated with psychiatric manifestations Pine et al., 1995, Stevens, 1998. A recent meta-analysis of psychiatric syndromes in patients with multiple sclerosis (n=4081) demonstrated that a total of 40.4% had psychiatric symptoms and, in this cohort, 1.1% suffered from psychosis (Schifferdecker et al., 1995). The treatment of psychosis in multiple sclerosis with typical neuroleptics has usually yielded poor responses and high risk of extrapyramidal symptoms Pine et al., 1995, Stevens, 1998. We now describe a case involving apparently effective treatment with ziprasidone in a psychotic patient with multiple sclerosis.

Section snippets

Case report

A 58-year-old woman with a 30-year history of multiple sclerosis and several neurological hospitalizations was admitted for the first time to a psychiatric service. She had been described sometimes as somewhat euphoric with low self-criticism, sometimes during treatment with corticosteroids which had been a major component in her long-term treatment, but not in the preceding 4 years. At admission, she demonstrated ataxic gait with generalized hyperreflexia and extensor plantar reflexes, with

Discussion

This patient's clinical history included findings of increased intrathecal immunoglobulin synthesis reflected by raised IgG indices and an oligoclonal pattern, as well as visually and somatosensoric evoked responses and MRI that fulfilled standard diagnostic criteria for multiple sclerosis Poser et al., 1983, Offenbacher et al., 1993, Zipoli et al., 2003. Diagnoses of differentiation to discuss ranging from traumatic or ischemic brain disease to hereditary, toxic, cortico-steroid related

Conclusion

This case suggests that ziprasidone may be a plausible option for psychosis associated with multiple sclerosis. While clozapine has been tested in several neurological disorders like multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease and has been shown to be superior to typical neuroleptics Safferman et al., 1994, Chong and Ko, 1997, systematic investigation of the newer atypical antipsychotics is now required. A general superiority of ziprasidone in the treatment of psychotic

Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Ross J. Baldessarini, Belmont (MA, USA) for helpful comments.

References (12)

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