Schizophrenia-like psychosis and dandy-walker variant comorbidity: case report

Psychiatry Investig. 2014 Jan;11(1):102-4. doi: 10.4306/pi.2014.11.1.102. Epub 2014 Jan 21.

Abstract

Dandy-Walker variant is a developmental malformation consisting of cerebellar hypoplasia and cystic dilatation of the fourth ventricle. Previous research has proposed a possible role for the cerebellum in cognition and in schizophrenia. In this paper we report a schizophrenia-like psychotic disorder in a 30 year-old woman with Dandy-Walker variant. The patient was treated with risperidone 6 mg/day, biperiden 4 mg/day and risperidone depot 50 mg injections fortnightly, and most of the symptoms were ameliorated within 2 months. The similar cognitive profile to populations with cerebellar pathology and rarity of the condition strongly suggests that there may be direct relationship between cerebellar pathology and appearence of psychotic symptoms.

Keywords: Cerebellum; Comorbidity; Dandy-Walker; Schizophrenia.