Psychiatric Manifestations of Olivo-Ponto-Cerebellar Atrophy and Treatment with Clozapine

Abstract

Patients with multiple system atrophy, a neurodegenerative disease entity, have a high incidence of associated mental disturbances such as a mood disorder with or without psychotic features. Treatment of the psychiatric symptoms, without compromising neurological status, is often complicated and unsuccessful. This article describes a patient with olivo-ponto-cerebellar atrophy and treatment-resistant psychotic depression whose psychiatric symptoms were successfully treated with clozapine without aggravating the neurological disabilities.