Paradoxical complete and spontaneous resolution of depression, psychosis, and suicidal ideation following a traumatic brain injury

ABSTRACT

A 65-year-old male patient with depression and psychosis sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) after a suicide attempt involving a motor vehicle. Immediately post-injury, the patient’s psychiatric symptoms completely resolved, and cognitive function improved, with minimal neurological deficits. We describe the first case, to our knowledge, of a patient with a paradoxical complete and spontaneous resolution of multiple psychiatric symptoms (depression, psychosis, and suicidal ideation) immediately following a closed-head, left hemispheric TBI.

KEYWORDS:

• Traumatic brain injury
• psychosis
• depression
• suicide
• resolution

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Dr. Anthony Feinstein for his scholarly feedback on the manuscript.

Declaration of interest

Dr. Rapoport received salary support from the Sunnybrook Psychiatry Partnership, and research funds from the Canadian Institute of Health Research/Canadian Consortium of Neurodegeneration and Aging.