Psychosis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Psychosis, including details on clinical depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder.

Electroconvulsive monotherapy in the treatment of acute confusion psychosis. A case report.

Neuhaus AH, Katchanov J, Opgen-Rhein C, Neu P, Jockers-Scherübl MC

This report focuses on the successful treatment of a most acute case of confusion psychosis according to the concept of Karl Leonhard. The 18-year-old patient was hospitalized three times before the current episode and his case has been characterized as pharmacologically treatment-resistant psychosis since he failed to respond to any psychopharmacological therapy including sufficient clozapine medication. In the patient's history, typical and atypical antipsychotic as well as mood-stabilizing and sedating pharmacological treatments have been conducted. However, only adverse effects could be observed. When receiving electroconvulsive monotherapy (ECT), the patient showed a marked reduction of symptoms while experiencing no adverse effects. The implications of this finding are discussed with regard to Leonhard's diagnostic system.

Published 12 December 2005 in Pharmacopsychiatry, 38(6): 330-2.
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