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Manic syndrome following head injury: another form of secondary mania
Abstract:
Two cases of mania secondary to head injury are reported. Only four well-documented reports of head trauma as a cause of secondary mania were found in an English and foreign literature search, although such a search is made difficult by the paucity of cases meeting modern diagnostic criteria for mania. Previous reviews of the causes of secondary mania have not included head injury, but the two case reports confirm that head injury may be an additional cause. A diagnosis of mania secondary to head trauma should be considered in manic patients with atypical age of onset, absence of previous psychiatric illness, negative family history for bipolar illness, and close temporal proximity of head trauma to subsequent mania.
Insights
Head injuries can cause secondary mania, a rare condition. Consider head trauma in manic patients with unusual onset, no prior psychiatric history, and a negative family history for bipolar disorder.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Secondary mania, a mood disorder, can arise from various medical conditions.
- Head injury is not commonly recognized as a cause of secondary mania.
Observation:
- Two cases of mania following head trauma are presented.
- A literature review identified only four prior documented cases meeting modern diagnostic criteria.
Findings:
- Head injury is confirmed as a potential cause of secondary mania.
- Key indicators include atypical age of onset, no prior psychiatric history, and a negative family history for bipolar illness.
Implications:
- Clinicians should consider head trauma in the differential diagnosis of secondary mania.
- This finding expands the understanding of neurological and psychiatric comorbidities following head injury.