Persistent interferon-β-1b-induced psychosis in a patient with multiple sclerosis

Giovanni Manfredi, Giorgio D. Kotzalidis, Gabriele Sani, Alexia E. Koukopoulos, Valeria Savoja, Simone Lazanio, Nicoletta Girardi, Roberto Tatarelli

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Interferon- 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-β-1b, 250 μg 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.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)584-586
Number of pages3
JournalPsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences
Volume64
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2010

Keywords

  • delusions
  • hallucinations
  • interferon-β-1b
  • multiple sclerosis
  • psychosis

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Clinical Neurology
  • Neurology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health
  • Neuroscience(all)

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