Postictal Psychosis: Common, Dangerous, and Treatable

Postical psychosis often complicates chronic epilepsy, especially in patients with seizure clusters that include tonic-clonic seizures, bilateral cerebral dysfunction (e.g., bilateral epileptiform activity or history of encephalitis), and a family history of psychiatric illness. Psychosis includes delusions, auditory and visual hallucinations, mood changes, and aggressive behavior. It typically emerges after a lucid interval of hours or days after the last seizure. This treatable disorder is associated with serious morbidity and mortality.