Tremor and Other Hyperkinetic Movements (Dec 2017)

Sertraline-induced Hemichorea

  • Emilia M. Gatto1,
  • Victoria Aldinio,
  • Virginia Parisi,
  • Gabriel Persi,
  • Gustavo Da Prat,
  • Maria Bres Bullrich,
  • Pilar Sanchez,
  • Galeno Rojas

DOI
https://doi.org/10.7916/D8XK999F

Abstract

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Background: Hemichorea–hemiballism is a syndrome secondary to different etiologies. Drug-induced hemichorea is a rare syndrome related to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. To the best of our knowledge, no previous cases of hemichorea associated with sertraline have been reported. Case Report: A 65-year-old female noticed hemichorea 1 week after initiation of sertraline. After extensive investigations, other causes of hemichorea were excluded. Hemichorea remitted after sertraline withdrawal. Discussion: In our patient, temporal association and the negative clinical assessment supported a diagnosis of likely drug-induced involuntary movement. We hypothesized that enhanced serotonergic transmission in the ventral tegmental area or nigrostriatum may be involved in sertraline-induced hemichorea.

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