Severe confusion in a patient receiving electroconvulsive therapy and atenolol.
Atenolol is a beta-blocker antihypertensive agent that reportedly has little central nervous system action. A patient was given atenolol during a course of electroconvulsive therapy and developed an organic mental syndrome with paranoid delusions. The possible alteration of the permeability of the blood-brain barrier by electroconvulsive therapy may have enabled atenolol to cause this unusual side effect.
D000368:Aged; D001262:Atenolol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier; D003693:Delirium / Q000209:etiology*; D003702:Delusions / Q000209:etiology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D010259:Paranoid Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D010539:Permeability
D001262:Atenolol