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The Effect of Anticonvulsants on Cognitive Functioning Following a Probable Encephalitic Illness

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

L. H. Goldstein*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF
V. Patel
Affiliation:
Bethlem Royal and Maudsley Hospitals, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AZ
P. Aspinall
Affiliation:
Neuropsychiatry Unit, Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AZ
W. A. Lishman
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF
*
Correspondence

Abstract

A 54-year-old man developed an acute encephalitic illness and subsequently suffered from marked memory difficulties. Considerable improvement with anticonvulsant therapy was demonstrated using a ward-based observation programme and serial neuropsychological assessments. The case report highlights the prominent role played by epileptic activity in determining the severity of the patient's amnesia.

British Journal of Psychiatry (1992), 160, 546–549

Type
Brief Reports
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1992 

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