Blood tryptophan and ATPase in psychosis of epilepsy

Serum tryptophan and erythrocyte Na+/K+ ATPase were determined in 14 epileptics with and without psychosis. The nature of the psychosis in four patients was non-specific. The amino acid and the enzyme levels were also estimated in 11 patients with a diagnosis of functional affective psychosis, 14 patients with schizophrenia, and 9 normal subjects. Comparison of data among the patients and the normal subjects were done using analysis of variance. There were no significant differences in tryptophan profiles and Na+/K+ ATPase levels in epileptics with or without psychosis. In addition, the data obtained for these parameters for the schizophrenics were homogenous to those of epileptics. Significant differences were, however, obtained between the epileptics and patients with affective illness. The data thus suggested that the non-specific psychosis presented by the epileptics may be schizophrenia-like and lend support to a specific psychosis associated with epilepsy.