Case report, 2013
Can psychotic episodes happen in a pattern linked to the menstrual cycle?
Yes. Psychotic episodes linked to menstruation may remit between cycles and become much less common after menopause.
What they did
Doctors reviewed 57 hospitalizations of one woman between 1977 and 2012. They looked for patterns in when her psychotic episodes occurred.
What they found
The woman had recurring psychotic episodes linked to her menstrual cycle. She received various treatments including electroconvulsive therapy and antipsychotic medications, but none prevented episodes from recurring until after menopause, when the frequency dramatically decreased.
What it means for you
Some women with chronic mental illness may have psychotic episodes that follow a menstrual pattern. Doctors treating women with many psychiatric hospitalizations should look for this pattern. The main limits are this describes only one case and the condition is not formally recognized in official diagnostic systems.
57
hospitalizations between 1977 and 2012
About the study
- Original title
- 1649 – Possible Menstrual Psychosis: a Case Report
- Authors
- M.G. Puiu, Mihnea Costin Manea, A.M. Iordan et al.
- Journal
- European Psychiatry
- Year
- 2013
- Study design
- Case report
- What was tested
- Various psychiatric treatments including electroconvulsive therapy and antipsychotic medications
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/s0924-9338(13)76639-2
Topics
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