title: Usher syndrome and psychiatric symptoms: a challenge in psychiatric management.
abstract: Usher syndrome, the most common case of deaf - blindness, may be associated with various psychiatric disorders. Inability of communication through spoken language in association with progressive visual impairment affects diagnostics and management in case of co-morbidity with mental disorder. A patient with Usher syndrome and psychiatric symptoms is described and the difficulties in psychiatric assessment in her case are discussed. A 28 years old woman with hearing impairment diagnosed at the age of 3 months and progressive pigmentary retinopathy diagnosed at the age of 19 years, has been treated for ADHD in childhood, eating disorder in adolescence and psychosis-like disorder in adult life. Direct observation of patient behavior and the effects of pharmacotherapy were the main diagnostic procedures, since the use of sign language and handwriting was very limited. The limitations of management are discussed.
authors.affiliation: University Psychiatric Hospital Ljubljana, Studenec 48, SI - 1260 Ljubljana Polje, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Nikolina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rijavec
authors.forename: Virginija Novak
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Grubic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003024:Clozapine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015897:Comorbidity; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D000069583:Pregabalin; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D012008:Recurrence; D012934:Social Isolation; D052245:Usher Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D000069583:Pregabalin; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D003024:Clozapine