Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Neurobrucellosis pp 69–79Cite as

Brucellar Psychosis

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

  • 664 Accesses

Abstract

The cognitive and mood disorders among neurobrucellosis patients are well documented. While neurobrucellosis is typically diagnosed by abnormal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis and detected specific antibodies in CSF, it is prudent to consider any case with unexplained psychological or mental disorder in the course of an active brucellosis as brucellar psychosis. The psychological manifestations of brucellosis can present in various clinical forms, and prompt antibrucellar antibiotic therapy should be started following the diagnosis of the infection by strong serological tests and/or isolation of the organism. The subject is especially concerning in the endemic areas where brucellosis is prevalent or whenever there is a history of exposure to Brucella species. The psychotic manifestations of a patient with active brucellosis improve by antibrucellar treatment, even without antipsychotic therapy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Abbreviations

2-ME:

2-Mercaptoethanal

Bid:

Twice a day

CSF:

Cerebrospinal fluid

CNS:

Central nervous system

DS:

Double strength

DSM-IV:

Criteria Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV

EEG:

Electroencephalogram

ELISA:

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

HDRS:

Hamilton Depression Rating Scale

LPS:

Lipopolysaccharides

MAG:

Microagglutination test

MMPI:

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory

MMSE:

Mini-Mental State Examination

Qhs:

Every night at bedtime

SAT:

Standard agglutination test

TMP–SMZ:

Trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole

References

  1. Akdeniz H, Irmak H, Anlar O, Demiröz AP (1998) Central nervous system brucellosis: presentation, diagnosis and treatment. J Infect 36:297–301

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Alapin B (1976) Psychosomatic and somato-psychic aspects of brucellosis. J Psychosom Res 20:339–350

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Ali G, Rashid S, Kamli MA, Shah PA, Allaqaband GQ (1997) Spectrum of neuropsychiatric complications in 791 cases of typhoid fever. Trop Med Int Health 2:314–318

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Amato E, Anasagasti I, Poza JJ, Yerobi JA (1989) Acute psychosis as a manifestation of brucellosis. Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin 7:231–232

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Angle FE (1935) Treatment of acute and chronic brucellosis (undulant fever): Personal observation of one hundred cases over a period of seven years. JAMA 105:939–942

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Angle FE, Algie WH (1937) Major psychosis in undulant fever. Ann Intern Med 10:1890–1892

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Araj GF, Lulu AR, Khateeb MI, Saadah MA, Shakir RA (1988) ELISA versus routine tests in the diagnosis of patients with systemic and neurobrucellosis. APMIS 96:171–176

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Bidaki R, Yassini SM, Maymand MT, Mashayekhi M, Yassini S (2013) Acute psychosis due to brucellosis: a report of two cases in a rural Iran. Int J Infect Microbiol 2:29–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Bostic J, Prince JB (2008) Chapter 69. Child and adolescent psychiatric disorders. In: Stern: Massachusetts general hospital comprehensive clinical psychiatry, 1st edn. Mosby, Philadelphia, p 953

    Google Scholar 

  10. Browne EG (1921) Arabian medicine. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 88–89

    Google Scholar 

  11. Bucher A, Gaustad P, Pape E (1990) Chronic neurobrucellosis due to Brucella melitensis: case report. Scand J Infect Dis 22:223–226

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Dal-Pizzol F, Tomasi CD, Ritter C (2014) Septic encephalopathy: does inflammation drive the brain crazy? Rev Bras Psiquiatr 36:251–258

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Drevets DA, Leenen PJM, Greenfield RA (2004) Invasion of the central nervous system by intracellular bacteria. Clin Microbiol Rev 17:323–347

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. Eren S, Bayam G, Ergonul O, Celikbas A, Pazvantoglu O, Baykam N, Dokuzoguz B, Dilbaz N (2006) Cognitive and emotional changes in neurobrucellosis. J Infect 53:184–189

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Evans AC (1961) Chronic brucellosis: the unreliability of diagnostic tests. J Am Med Womens Assoc 16:942–945

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Ghaffarinejad AR, Safarzadeh F, Sedighi B, Sadeghieh T (2008) Psychosis as an early presentation of neurobrucellosis. Iran J Med Sci 33:57–59

    Google Scholar 

  17. Gul HC, Erdem H, Bek S (2009) Overview of neurobrucellosis: a pooled analysis of 187 cases. Int J Infect Dis 13:e339–e343

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Hamdani N, Daban-Huard C, Lajnef M, Richard JR, Delavest M, Godin O, Le Guen E, Vederine FE, Lépine JP, Jamain S, Houenou J, Le Corvoisier P, Aoki M, Moins-Teisserenc H, Charron D, Krishnamoorthy R, Yolken R, Dickerson F, Tamouza R, Leboyer M (2013) Relationship between Toxoplasma gondii infection and bipolar disorder in a french sample. J Affect Disord 148:444–448

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Hayes LN, Severance EG, Leek JT, Gressitt KL, Rohleder C, Coughlin JM, Leweke FM, Yolken RH, Sawa A (2014) Inflammatory molecular signature associated with infectious agents in psychosis. Schizophr Bull 40:963–972

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  20. Hung HC, Chu JL, Lu T (2013) Psychotic disorder due to neurosyphilis. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 25:E67–E68

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Imboden JB, Canter A, Cluff LE, Trever RW (1959) Brucellosis. III. Psychologic aspects of delayed convalescence. Arch Intern Med 103:406–414

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. James BO, Agbonile IO, Okolo M, Lawani AO, Omoaregba JO (2013) Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection among individuals with severe mental illness in Nigeria: a case control study. Pathog Glob Health 107:189–193

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  23. Karsen H, Akdeniz H, Karahocagil MK, Irmak H, Sünnetçioğlu M (2007) Toxic-febrile neurobrucellosis, clinical findings and outcome of treatment of four cases based on our experience. Scand J Infect Dis 39:990–995

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Lapaque N, Moriyon I, Moreno E, Gorvel JP (2005) Brucella lipopolysaccharide acts as a virulence factor. Curr Opin Microbiol 8:60–66

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Madkour MM, Al-Moutaery KR, Al-Deeb S, Al-Swailem R, Al-Okaily F (2001) Neurobrucellosis. In: Madkour’s brucellosis. Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg, pp 166–178

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  26. Mathuranath PS, Radhakrishnan K (2009) Chapter 21. Neurological tuberculosis. In: Tuberculosis, 2nd edn. Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers, New Delhi, p 307

    Google Scholar 

  27. McLean DR, Russell N, Kahn MY (1992) Neurobrucellosis: clinical and therapeutic features. Clin Infect Dis 15:582–590

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Mohr JA, Wilson JD (1973) Schizophreniform psychosis with chronic brucellosis. J Okla State Med Assoc 66:319–321

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Montazeri M, Sadeghi K, Khalili H, Davoudi S (2013) Fever and psychosis as an early presentation of Brucella-associated meningoencephalitis: a case report. Med Princ Pract 22:506–509

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Pascual J, Combarros O, Polo JM, Berciano J (1988) Localized CNS brucellosis: report of 7 cases. Acta Neurol Scand 78:282–289

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Roger H, Poursines Y (1951) Psychotic forms of meningo-neuro-brucellosis. Ann Med Psychol (Paris) 109:145–169

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Roger H (1954) Brucellar paraplegia. Encéphale 43:246–279

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Sadock B, Kaplan HI, Sadock VA (2007) Chapter 14. Other psychotic disorders. In: Kaplan & Sadock’s synopsis of psychiatry: behavioral sciences/clinical psychiatry, 10th edn. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, Philadelphia, p 519

    Google Scholar 

  34. Sanchez-Sousa A, Torres C, Campello MG, Garcia C, Parras F, Cercenado E, Baquero F (1990) Serological diagnosis of neurobrucellosis. J Clin Pathol 43:79–81

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  35. Shehata GA, Abdel-Baky L, Rashed H, Elamin H (2010) Neuropsychiatric evaluation of patients with brucellosis. J Neurovirol 16:48–55

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Sheybani F, Sarvghad MR, Bojdi A, Naderi HR (2012) Brucellar psychosis. Arch Iran Med 15:723–725

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Shirts BH, Prasad KM, Pogue-Geile MF, Dickerson F, Yolken RH, Nimgaonkar VL (2008) Antibodies to cytomegalovirus and Herpes simplex virus 1 associated with cognitive function in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 106:268–274

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  38. Spink WW (1956) Brucellosis; epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis. Semin Int 5:15–17

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Srivastava S, Chadda RK, Bala K, Majumdar P (2013) A study of neuropsychiatric manifestations in patients of neurocysticercosis. Indian J Psychiatry 55:264–267

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  40. Tuncel D, Uçmak H, Gokce M, Utku U (2008) Neurobrucellosis. Eur J Gen Med 5:245–248

    Google Scholar 

  41. Turgut M, Cullu E, Sendur OF, Gürer G (2004) Brucellar spine infection-four case reports. Neurol Med Chir (Tokyo) 44:562–567

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Turgut M, Sendur OF, Gürel M (2003) Brucellar spondylodiscitis in the lumbar region. Neurol Med Chir (Tokyo) 43:210–212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Yolken RH, Torrey EF (2008) Are some cases of psychosis caused by microbial agents? A review of the evidence. Mol Psychiatry 13:470–479

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Infectious Diseases, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Hamid Reza Naderi MD

Authors
  1. Hamid Reza Naderi MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hamid Reza Naderi MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, Adnan Menderes University School of Medicine, Aydin, Turkey

    Mehmet Turgut

  2. Department of Surgery, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon

    Fuad Sami Haddad

  3. School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II School of Medicine and Surgery, Naples, Italy

    Oreste de Divitiis

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Naderi, H.R. (2016). Brucellar Psychosis. In: Turgut, M., Haddad, F., de Divitiis, O. (eds) Neurobrucellosis. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24639-0_10

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24639-0_10

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-24637-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-24639-0

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation