Schizophrenia or Neurodegenerative Disease Prodrome? Outcome of a First Psychotic Episode in a 35-Year-Old Woman

NIH Public Access Author Manuscript Psychosomatics. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2013 May 22. NIH-PA Author Manuscript Published in final edited form as: Psychosomatics. 2012 May ; 53(3): 280–284. doi:10.1016/j.psym.2011.04.005. Schizophrenia or neurodegenerative disease prodrome? Outcome of a first psychotic episode in a 35-year old woman Baber K. Khan, B.A., University of California San Francisco, Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, 350 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143. Josh D. Woolley, MD/PhD, University of California San Francisco, Langley Porter, Department of Psychiatry, 401 Parnassus Avenue, Room 159, San Francisco, CA 94143. Steven Chao, MD/PhD, University of California San Francisco, Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, 350 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143. NIH-PA Author Manuscript Tricia See, ScM, University of California San Francisco, Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, 350 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143. Anna M. Karydas, B.A., University of California San Francisco, Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, 350 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143. Bruce L. Miller, MD, and University of California San Francisco, Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, 350 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143. Katherine P. Rankin, PhD University of California San Francisco, Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, 350 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143. Abstract NIH-PA Author Manuscript Background—Patients with early onset neurodegenerative disease can present with a clinical syndrome that overlaps with schizophrenia, and it is not uncommon for these patients to undergo long-term care in psychiatric settings rather than receiving more appropriate care by neurologists specializing in their disease. Case report—A 35-year old woman who presented with new-onset delusions, eating abnormalities, disorganized behavior, lack of insight, disinhibition, and stereotypical motor behaviors was diagnosed with schizophrenia and institutionalized. Later she was found to have a © 2011 Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Corresponding Author: Josh D. Woolley, University of California San Francisco, Langley Porter, Department of Psychiatry, 401 Parnassus Avenue, Room 159, San Francisco, CA 94143. Josh.woolley@ucsf.edu. Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. Declaration of interest for all authors: All authors report no competing interests. Location: University of California San Francisco Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, 350 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143.