Safety and efficacy of psychopharmacological agents used to treat the psychiatric sequelae of common neurological disorders

Background: Psychiatric disorders and symptoms, ranging from mood dysregulation to delirium, are commonly observed in many neurological disorders. These manifestations complicate the illness and worsen prognosis. Pharmacological treatment options may be limited by the primary neurological illness and side effects. Objective: This paper aims to review the safety and efficacy of pharmacological agents used to treat psychiatric manifestations of several common neurological conditions, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), post-stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and epilepsy. Methods: Systematic review of the Medline database for articles published between 2000 and 2007 was done to retrieve relevant articles. Results: The paucity of controlled data on the pharmacological treatments of psychiatric manifestations of neurological conditions makes recommendations difficult. Conclusion: When secondary depression, mania, anxiety, and delirium remain after treatment of the underlying condition, clinical experience and the limited research indicates that judicious pharmacological interventions may effectively treat mood dysregulation, delirium and agitation.