J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 1996; 8:338-340
Copyright © 1996 by American Neuropsychiatric Association
Sertraline in the treatment of severe aggressiveness in Huntington's disease
NG Ranen, JR Lipsey, G Treisman and CA Ross
Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Sertraline, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, was used to treat two
consecutive cases of genetically confirmed Huntington's disease in which
severe irritability and aggressiveness required inpatient admission. The
complete cessation of aggressive behavior in both cases has been maintained
on follow-up. This report adds to the literature implicating serotonergic
mechanisms in irritability and aggressiveness in both neuropsychiatric and
idiopathic psychiatric disorders.
