The British Journal of Psychiatry (2006) 189: 182-183. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.105.012864
© 2006 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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SHORT REPORTS

Psychiatric presentation of voltage-gated potassium channel antibody-associated encephalopathy

Case report

U. D. Parthasarathi, MBBS

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Mental Health NHS Trust, Cambridge

T. Harrower, MBCHB, MRCP

Department of Neurology, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge

M. Tempest, MA, LLM, MBBChir

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Mental Health NHS Trust

J. R. Hodges, MD, FRCP

Department of Neurology, Addenbrooke's Hospital

C. Walsh, MRCPsych

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Mental Health NHS Trust

P. J. McKenna, MRCPsych

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Mental Health NHS Trust

P. C. Fletcher, MRCPsych

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Mental Health NHS Trust and University of Cambridge Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge, UK

Correspondence: U. D. Parthasarathi, Box 175, Liaison Psychiatry Service, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ, UK. Tel: 01223 216167; fax: 01223 274363; email: upartha{at}hotmail.co.uk

Declaration of interest None.

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.


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