Hiding in Plain Sight: A case of post ictal psychosis with suicidal behavior

Postictal psychosis (PIP) is a serious, often unrecognized complication of epilepsy. Early diagnosis and intervention can prevent life-threatening outcomes. We report the case of a 26-year-old woman with childhood-onset frontal lobe epilepsy who attempted suicide, during a postictal psychotic episod...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Tamara Fischl, Piero Perucca
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-03-01
Series:Epilepsy & Behavior Reports
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589986424000844
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Summary:Postictal psychosis (PIP) is a serious, often unrecognized complication of epilepsy. Early diagnosis and intervention can prevent life-threatening outcomes. We report the case of a 26-year-old woman with childhood-onset frontal lobe epilepsy who attempted suicide, during a postictal psychotic episode, several days after undergoing inpatient video-EEG monitoring. This case presents a real-world scenario with clear guidelines for the on-call neurologist who will need to accurately diagnose and confidently manage PIP with psychotropic medications. Moreover, this case may stimulate discussion about the complex relationship between epilepsy and psychosis.
ISSN:2589-9864