Aripiprazole in a Patient of PLA2G6-Associated Neurodegeneration With Psychosis

PLA2G6-associated neurodegeneration is a major subtype of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation. Patients with PLA2G6-associated neurodegeneration usually present degenerative motor symptoms with neuropsychiatric disturbance. This report presents a patient with PLA2G6-related dystonia-parkinsonism, who had neuropsychiatric symptoms preceding movement symptoms. Antipsychotic drug was prescribed, and he developed parkinsonism years later. Differential diagnosis between drug-induced parkinsonism and PLA2G6-related dystonia-parkinsonism could be challenging. PLA2G6 sequencing has to be considered facing a patient with adulthood parkinsonism, especially when it is associated with initial psychiatric symptoms. Our case highlights a common problem treating psychiatric symptoms in neurodegenerative diseases that lead to parkinsonism. The use of antipsychotics requires a special caution in these patients because it may cause extrapyramidal symptoms. Aripiprazole had therapeutic effect on both mood and psychotic symptoms and less impact on motor features, which may be considered an ideal pharmacological approach in treating these patients.