Psychosis in a patient with Usher syndrome: a case report

The present report is the case of a 26-year-old man, born with Usher syndrome. The patient had had a significant hearing impairment since birth and had developed retinitis pigmentosa. He had originally been diagnosed with a depressive disorder and treated with antidepressants, with no subsequent improvement in his mental state. Following a deterioration in his mental state he was admitted for reassessment at the Queen Elizabeth Psychiatric Hospital, Birmingham, and antidepressants were stopped. It subsequently became apparent from observations, interviews with the patient and information from the patient's carers and relatives that he had a psychotic illness. Treatment was started with the antipsychotic drug risperidone, after which he showed significant improvement. The association between Usher syndrome and psychosis is discussed

Deafness and paranoid symptoms: Prevalence and etiology

The possible association between deafness and paranoid symptoms is an area of debate for many years. In this brief discussion we will show how it is difficult to conduct a research in this field. Also we will show that deafness solely as a causal factor for paranoid symptoms is most likely mistaken. It was found that the neurotic forms of mental disorders are much more common than paranoia in such a population. The consideration of the whole situation, which includes, psychological, social, and more significant any underlying organic cause, is an important factor in assessing a deaf patient who presents with paranoid symptoms