TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2013//
TI  - Epilepsy and brain injury: A case report of a dramatic neuropsychiatric vicious circle
JO  - Brain injury
A1  - Rapinesi, Chiara
A1  - Del Casale, Antonio
A1  - Serata, Daniele
A1  - Kotzalidis, Giorgio D.
A1  - Scatena, Paola
A1  - Muzi, Antonio
A1  - Lazanio, Simone
A1  - Savoja, Valeria
A1  - Carbonetti, Paolo
A1  - Fensore, Claudio
A1  - Ferracuti, Stefano
A1  - Angeletti, Gloria
A1  - Tatarelli, Roberto
A1  - Girardi, Paolo
SP  - 940
EP  - 943
VL  - 27
IS  - 7-8
N2  - : Abstract Primary objective: Early treatment of epilepsy is warranted to avoid possible severe consequences. This study aimed to assess the value of treatment in a patient who developed epilepsy after major brain surgery. Design: Case description. A 51 years-old man had a history of putative petit mal seizures since adolescence and left frontotemporal lobectomy after a major traffic accident at age 17. He subsequently developed quickly generalizing partial complex seizures, associated with severe behavioural alterations and personality changes; the condition was left untreated. A further seizure-related loss of consciousness led to another traffic accident at age 47. Methods and procedures: The patient was administered 200 mg/day topiramate, 600 mg/day quetiapine, 1000 mg/day valproate, 1200 mg/day gabapentin and 800 mg/day carbamazepine. Main outcomes and results: The instituted anti-epileptic treatment reduced seizure frequency and severity, but did not affect psychiatric symptomatology, which even worsened. An association between anti-epileptic drugs with mood stabilizing properties and an atypical anti-psychotic dramatically improved psychiatric symptoms, but did not prevent the patient from needing long-term healthcare. Conclusions: Long-term untreated epilepsy may expose to accident proneness and further psychiatric deterioration. Early diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy may help in avoiding a potentially lethal vicious circle.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0269-9052
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/02699052.2013.775489
ID  - ref1
ER  -