J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 1989; 1:188-190
Copyright © 1989 by American Neuropsychiatric Association
Radiologic correlates of antidepressant-induced delirium: the possible significance of basal-ganglia lesions
GS Figiel, KR Krishnan, JC Breitner and CB Nemeroff
Department of Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710.
Antidepressant-induced delirium in five of 60 (8%) patients over the age of
45 is reported. In each case, delirium developed within two weeks of
beginning the antidepressant and appeared to be completely reversible once
the medication was discontinued. Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed
basal-ganglia lesions in each patient who developed delirium. This finding
indicates that patients with basal- ganglia lesions may be more vulnerable
to antidepressant-induced delirium and is consistent with recent data from
the neurologic and psychiatric literature that implicate the basal ganglia
in the development of other types of delirium.
