Levetiracetam Prophylaxis Therapy for Brain Tumor-Related Epilepsy (BTRE) Is Associated With a Higher Psychiatric Burden

Purpose: Brain tumor-related epilepsy (BTRE) is a condition characterized by the development of seizures in the context of an undergoing oncological background. Levetiracetam (LEV) is a third-generation anti-seizure medication (ASM) widely used in BTRE prophylaxis. The study evaluated LEV neuropsychiatric side effects (SEs) in BTRE prophylaxis.Method: Twenty-eight patients with brain tumors were retrospectively selected and divided into two groups. In one group, we evaluated patients with a BTRE diagnosis using LEV (BTRE-group). The other group included patients with brain tumors who never had epilepsy and used a prophylactic ASM regimen with LEV (PROPHYLAXIS-group). Neuropsychiatric SEs of LEV were monitored using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q) at the baseline visit and the 6- and 12-month follow-up.Results: Eighteen patients of the BTRE-group and 10 patients of the PROPHYLAXIS-group were included. Compared to the BTRE-group, the PROPHYLAXIS-group showed a higher severity of neuropsychiatric symptoms. According to Linear Mixed Models (LMM), a multiplicative effect was observed for the interaction between group treatment and time. For the caregiver distress score (CDS), only a time-effect was observed.Conclusion: Prophylactic ASM with LEV is associated with an increased frequency of neuropsychiatric SE. Accurate epileptological evaluations in patients with brain tumors are mandatory to select who would benefit most from ASM.

A case report of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine–associated encephalitis

Background Vaccination against COVID-19 continues apace, but side-effects, both common and severe, continue to be reported. We report here the first published case of COVID-19 vaccine-related encephalitis. Case presentation A young woman presented with acute neuropsychiatric symptoms following recent ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccination. Extensive investigation did not identify alternative causes. Conclusions This difficult case is here described, including presentation, investigation, and management. Further study on neuropsychiatric side-effects of COVID-19 vaccination, including investigation as to whether there may be a causal link, is required.

When Paranoia Comes with the Treatment: Psychosis Associated with Tacrolimus Use

Tacrolimus is an immunosuppressive drug frequently used in solid organ transplant recipients. This drug has well-documented neuropsychiatric side effects in the literature, although emergence of psychotic symptoms is rare, being only described in a very few case reports. We present a case of a renal transplant recipient with no prior psychiatric history, who developed a severe psychosis secondary to supratherapeutic tacrolimus’ blood concentrations. This case highlights the importance of clinical awareness to rare but severe neuropsychiatric effects due to tacrolimus use.

Substance use, Unlike Dolutegravir, is Associated with Mood Symptoms in People Living with HIV

Contradictory data have been reported concerning neuropsychiatric side effects of the first-line antiretroviral drug dolutegravir, which may be partly due to lack of control groups or psychiatric assessment tools. Using validated self-report questionnaires, we compared mood and anxiety (DASS-42), impulsivity (BIS-11), and substance use (MATE-Q) between dolutegravir-treated and dolutegravir-naive people living with HIV (PLHIV). We analyzed 194, mostly male, PLHIV on long-term treatment of whom 82/194 (42.3%) used dolutegravir for a median (IQR) of 280 (258) days. Overall, 51/194 (26.3%) participants reported DASS-42 scores above the normal cut-off, 27/194 (13.5%) were classified as highly impulsive, and 58/194 (29.9%) regularly used recreational drugs. Regular substance use was positively associated with depression (p = 0.012) and stress scores (p = 0.045). We observed no differences between dolutegravir-treated and dolutegravir-naive PLHIV. Our data show that depressed and anxious moods and impulsivity are common in PLHIV and associate with substance use and not with dolutegravir use.

Perampanel-Induced Cataplexy in a Young Male with Generalized Epilepsy

Perampanel is an anti-epileptic drug reported to exert its effects in the central never system (CNS) by inhibiting post-synaptic glutamate receptors. The most commonly reported neuropsychiatric side effects are affective dysregulation with some reports of psychosis. However, the precise therapeutic mechanism is unknown. We report on a 32-year-old African American male with recurring generalized tonic-clonic (GTC) seizures, who presented to our hospital with onset of mood lability for several months, subsequent to adding perampanel to his antiepileptic medications. On presentation, perampanel administration was temporarily withheld, and subsequently, noted to be coincident with neuropsychiatric symptomatology, including motor weakness in emotional contexts. The mechanisms underlying cataplexy are complex and, in our patient, most likely induced by an interaction between perampanel and the wakeful inhibition of the sublaterodorsal nucleus projections.

The Neuropsychiatric Side Effects of Oseltamivir, an Early Solution in the Coronavirus

The article's abstract is not available.

Neuropsychiatric Consequences of Lipophilic Beta-Blockers

Beta-blockers are a class of drugs with important benefits in cardiovascular pathology. In this paper, we aim to highlight their adverse and therapeutic effects in the neuropsychiatric field. With respect to permeability, we would like to mention that most beta-blockers are lipophilic and can cross the blood–brain barrier. Observational studies show the presence of neuropsychiatric side effects when taking beta-blockers, and is the reason for which caution is recommended in their use in patients with depressive syndrome. From a therapeutic point of view, most current evidence is for the use of beta-blockers in migraine attacks, essential tremor, and akathisia. Beta-blockers appear to be effective in the treatment of aggressive behavior, beneficial in the prevention of posttraumatic stress syndrome and may play a role in the adjuvant treatment of obsessive–compulsive disorder, which is refractory to standard therapy. In conclusion, the relationship between beta-blockers and the central nervous system appears as a two-sided coin. Summarizing the neuropsychiatric side effects of beta-blockers, we suggest that clinicians pay special attention to the pharmacological properties of different beta-blockers.

Transient bilateral chorea secondary to digoxin toxicity in a female with acute kidney injury: a case report

Background Chorea secondary to digoxin toxicity is rare, with only three published cases describing the phenomenon. We report the case of a 78-year-old female presenting with intermittent vomiting and diarrhoea for 4 weeks. She had a history of chronic kidney disease and digoxin use for atrial fibrillation. Case summary A 78-year-old lady presented to the emergency department with a 4-week history of intermittent vomiting and diarrhoea. These symptoms commenced after a course of antibiotics prescribed by her general practitioner for a urinary tract infection. Her admission electrocardiogram demonstrated atrial fibrillation at a rate of 32, with evidence of digitalis toxicity. Her creatinine was 396 µmol/L (44–80 µmol/L) with digoxin level 8.1 nmol/L (0.77–1.5 nmol/L). Initially, treatment was with digoxin-specific antibody (FAB) and fluid resuscitation. Within 24 h, she developed transient head, neck, and bilateral upper limb chorea. Review of medications revealed no other likely causative agent. Neuroimaging showed no new ischaemia, but stable established bilateral infarcts of the basal ganglia. Haloperidol 0.5 mg twice daily was commenced. Three days later as digoxin levels normalized, the chorea resolved entirely without recurrence. Discussion We have identified three reported cases of digoxin-induced chorea. Our case resembles two of the published cases where a transient bilateral chorea, associated with digitalis toxicity and resolving within a few days of normalization of digoxin levels was demonstrated. There were no other focal neurological signs or symptoms. It has been postulated that an alteration to dopaminergic neuronal activity is a potential mechanism, as digoxin also demonstrates neuropsychiatric side effects such as psychosis and depression.

The Large Action of Chlorpromazine: Translational and Transdisciplinary Considerations in the Face of COVID-19

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in humans that is caused by SARS-associated coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In the context of COVID-19, several aspects of the relations between psychiatry and the pandemic due to the coronavirus have been described. Some drugs used as antiviral medication have neuropsychiatric side effects, and conversely some psychotropic drugs have antiviral properties. Chlorpromazine (CPZ, Largactil®) is a well-established antipsychotic medication that has recently been proposed to have antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. This review aims to 1) inform health care professionals and scientists about the history of CPZ use in psychiatry and its potential anti- SARS-CoV-2 activities 2) inform psychiatrists about its potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 activities, and 3) propose a research protocol for investigating the use of CPZ in the treatment of COVID-19 during the potential second wave. The history of CPZ’s discovery and development is described in addition to the review of literature from published studies within the discipline of virology related to CPZ. The early stages of infection with coronavirus are critical events in the course of the viral cycle. In particular, viral entry is the first step in the interaction between the virus and the cell that can initiate, maintain, and spread the infection. The possible mechanism of action of CPZ is related to virus cell entry via clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Therefore, CPZ could be useful to treat COVID-19 patients provided that its efficacy is evaluated in adequate and well-conducted clinical trials. Interestingly, clinical trials of very good quality are in progress. However, more information is still needed about the appropriate dosage regimen. In short, CPZ repositioning is defined as a new use beyond the field of psychiatry.