Juan Wang, Juan Li, Yan-Ge Wei, Xin-Xin Lu, Zhao-Hui Zhang
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) are believed to be characteristic symptoms of schizophrenia. The prevalence of AVHs in deaf patients with schizophrenia is comparable to that in patients with schizophrenia who have normal hearing ability. AVHs in deaf patients with schizophrenia require treatment.
Case summary: A 22-year-old deaf woman with schizophrenia had experienced AVHs for 3 months. Her psychotic symptoms were not alleviated by antipsychotic medication alone. Modified electroconvulsive therapy in combination with antipsychotic drugs effectively alleviated her AVHs and disorganized behavior. During outpatient follow-up for 6 months, her condition have remained stable, and she has been able to take care of herself.
Conclusion: Treatment with modified electroconvulsive therapy was found to be safe and might be indicated for deaf patients whose symptoms are not well managed with antipsychotic medication alone. Deaf people might be unable to communicate through spoken language; therefore, to make proper diagnoses and provide appropriate treatment for these patients, psychiatrists must have patience and seek to understand patients' mental state.
期刊介绍:
The World Journal of Psychiatry (WJP) is a high-quality, peer reviewed, open-access journal. The primary task of WJP is to rapidly publish high-quality original articles, reviews, editorials, and case reports in the field of psychiatry. In order to promote productive academic communication, the peer review process for the WJP is transparent; to this end, all published manuscripts are accompanied by the anonymized reviewers’ comments as well as the authors’ responses. The primary aims of the WJP are to improve diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive modalities and the skills of clinicians and to guide clinical practice in psychiatry.