Borna disease virus (BDV) predominantly infects horses and sheep, causing a broad range of behavioural disorders. It is controversial whether BDV infects humans and causes psychiatric disorders.

We searched for BDV-derived nucleic acids in blood of race horses and jockeys riding the horses.

We assayed for the BDV genome in RNA extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of 39 race horses and 48 jockeys. Two polymerase chain reaction protocols [one-tube reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and two-step RT-PCR] were used to assay BDV p24 and p40 transcripts.

The p24 and p40 viral nucleic acid sequences were not detected in the PBMC RNAs from any of the race horses or jockeys.

These data do not support an epidemiological association between BDV infection, race horses and humans.

Wilson's disease commonly presents with neurological or hepatic manifestations. When it presents with only psychiatric symptoms, or with extrapyramidal symptoms secondary to neuroleptic exposure, the diagnosis of underlying Wilson's disease may be missed.

An 18-year-old boy presented to the psychiatric clinic with a manic syndrome and high propensity for extrapyramidal symptoms to neuroleptic. Initial examination revealed splenomegaly and pancytopenia. Subsequent detection of Kayser–Fleischer ring and typical biochemical findings confirmed the diagnosis of Wilson's disease.

While the psychiatric symptoms came under control with lithium carbonate, extrapyramidal symptoms continue to persist even after neuroleptic withdrawal. Pancytopenia thought to be due to hypersplenism persists, and patient has developed features of liver cirrhosis. Treatment with zinc and folic acid has been started, and the patient is under evaluation for treatment with penicillamine.

The psychiatrist needs to recognize that Wilson's disease can uncommonly present with isolated psychiatric symptoms, including mania. Early and severe extrapyramidal symptoms secondary to neuroleptic exposure in an adolescent age group warrants a detailed evaluation to rule out underlying neuropsychiatric conditions.

Capgras syndrome is the most common type of delusional misidentification syndromes. In this phenomenon, the patient believes the delusional conviction that a familiar person has been replaced by imposters. Capgras syndrome was thought to occur in psychotic and organic contexts. It has some rare variants. In one of these rare variants, the patient has the delusion of inanimate doubles. There are reports which regard the relationship between Capgras syndrome and epilepsy as a contributing factor. We present a case of grandmal epilepsy with psychotic features including delusion of inanimate doubles.

A single case is reported.

A 55-year-old woman with long-time history of grandmal epilepsy developed psychosis 3 months prior to her psychiatric referral. She believed that her sons replaced her possessions and furniture continuously. There was no history of previous psychiatric illness, and also there was no evidence of any other organic disorder.

Previous reports showed Capgras phenomenon as a clinical presentation in epileptic patients. We show that the delusion of doubles of inanimate objects as a variant of Capgras syndrome could also be a clinical presentation in epileptic patients.

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is rare in adult patients. Clinical presentation in intial phases of SSPE may be non-specific leading to diagnostic delay. We present a 24-year-old patient with depressive syndrome of five months' duration prior to the onset of typical features of SSPE, which is a rare presentation. This patient had responded partially to Sertraline, for a brief period, before he was diagnosed to have SSPE. This case illustrates affective symptoms can be the presenting features of SSPE in adults.