Remission of Psychotic Symptoms Following Seizures in a Patient With an Episodic Psychotic Disorder

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Authors: Roli R Gupta, Santosh Iranna Ramdurg
Cited by: 0
References: 9

Abstract

The relationship between psychosis and seizure activity has long been of clinical interest and historically contributed to the development of convulsive therapies in psychiatry. We report the case of a 36-year-old woman with an episodic psychotic disorder who presented with a relapse characterized by persecutory delusions. She was initiated on antipsychotic treatment, with partial early improvement in symptoms. During the course of hospitalization, her illness was complicated by two episodes of generalized seizures associated with fever and altered consciousness, necessitating intensive care management and ventilatory support. After recovery from this acute medical illness, the patient demonstrated complete remission of psychotic symptoms, which persisted at follow-up. This case highlights a striking temporal association between seizure occurrence and remission of psychosis and underscores the complex and poorly understood relationship between psychosis and seizure-related brain dysfunction. While no causal or therapeutic role of seizures is implied, this observation mirrors similar reports in the literature and emphasizes the importance of continued medical vigilance in the management of acute psychotic episodes.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Electroconvulsive Therapy Studies Epilepsy research and treatment Schizophrenia research and treatment

Publication details

Journal / source
Cureus
Volume
18
Issue
3
Pages
e104667–e104667
Publication date
4 March 2026
Language
EN