Psychiatric presentation of voltage-gated potassium channel antibody-associated encephalopathy: Case report

Voltage-gated potassium channel antibody encephalopathy, a rare cause of limbic encephalopathy, typically presents with memory impairment and seizures. Psychiatric symptoms have not been emphasised in the literature. Here we describe a 58-year-old man who presented with panic attacks and psychogenic...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of psychiatry 2006-08, Vol.189 (2), p.182-183
Main Authors: Parthasarathi, U. D, Harrower, T, Tempest, M, Hodges, J. R, Walsh, C, McKenna, P. J, Fletcher, P. C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antibodies
Antibodies - analysis
Brain Diseases - immunology
Brain Diseases - psychology
Confusion - immunology
Confusion - psychology
Confusion - therapy
Delusions - immunology
Delusions - psychology
Delusions - therapy
Encephalopathy
Hallucinations - immunology
Hallucinations - psychology
Hallucinations - therapy
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Panic Disorder - immunology
Panic Disorder - psychology
Panic Disorder - therapy
Panic disorders
Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated - immunology
Seizures
Seizures - immunology
Seizures - psychology
Seizures - therapy
Treatment Outcome
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Summary:Voltage-gated potassium channel antibody encephalopathy, a rare cause of limbic encephalopathy, typically presents with memory impairment and seizures. Psychiatric symptoms have not been emphasised in the literature. Here we describe a 58-year-old man who presented with panic attacks and psychogenic non-epileptic seizures and, later on, developed delusions and hallucinations and then confusion. He was found to have antibodies to voltage-gated potassium channels. Treatment with immuno-modulatory therapy resulted in almost complete recovery.
ISSN:0007-1250
1472-1465
DOI:10.1192/bjp.bp.105.012864