Persistent interferon-ss-1b-induced psychosis in a patient with multiple sclerosis.
Author(s): Manfredi G, Kotzalidis GD, Sani G, Koukopoulos AE, Savoja V, Lazanio S, Girardi N, Tatarelli R
Affiliation(s): Psychiatric Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Functions (NESMOS), Sapienza University, 2nd Medical School, Sant' Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy. giovanni.manfredi@uniroma1.it
Publication date & source: 2010-10, Psychiatry Clin Neurosci., 64(5):584-6.
Publication type: Case Reports
Interferon-ss is used in patients with multiple sclerosis to reduce autoimmunity; although other psychiatric side-effects are common, in contrast to interferon-alpha, psychosis has been reported only once. A patient with multiple sclerosis developed auditory hallucinations, paranoid delusions, and increased aggressiveness after 16 months of treatment with interferon-ss-1b, 250 mg every other day. He responded after about one month to antipsychotic treatment, but tended to relapse upon dose reduction, and after 2 years still needs antipsychotics to control his symptoms. Because there was no change in his magnetic resonance imaging between pre- and post-treatment with interferon, we concluded that psychosis was more related to interferon treatment than to the underlying disease.
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