Faculty Bibliography

(from the journal abstract) This article reviews three inherited basal ganglia diseases--Huntington's disease, Wilson's disease, and Fahr's disease. Although these diseases are rare causes of psychiatric symptoms, they can initially present with psychosis in the absence of the neurological and systemic signs and symptoms that are more typical of these illnesses. In other words, it is possible that these illnesses could present with a syndrome that is very difficult to clinically distinguish from a first break of schizophrenia. All three illnesses are fairly straightforward to diagnose in the presence of an appropriate index of clinical suspicion. Diagnosis is most critical for Wilson's disease, as effective, treatment exists that can prevent irreversible organ damage.