Bipolar Disorder Due to Traumatic Brain Injury: A Case Report

Abstract

I report an unusual case in Saudi Arabia of a 28-year-old man who had bipolar disorder due to a traumatic brain injury suffered 10 years previously. He had been evaluated and diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder as well as amphetamine and hash use disorder until recently, when the team noticed a poor response to treatment and the continuation of his cognitive features. After a reevaluation of the history and evidence of the brain lesions on the MRI, the diagnosis was changed to bipolar disorder due to a traumatic brain injury. The patient had shown a fair response to valproate and risperidone. This report emphasizes the significance of ruling out the medical factors contributing to the manifestation of any novel psychiatric symptom, necessitating greater attention to the account of cranial trauma and periods of unconsciousness. Psychiatrists should be aware of these overlooked cases and encourage colleagues in the field to maintain a high index of suspicion and to take a good relevant history of brain injury insults, especially when there are cognitive features and a poor response to medications. The patient exhibited symptoms of inattention, memory difficulties, reasoning deficits, and poor judgment, but he did not meet the criteria for a minor or major cognitive disorder.