Role of quetiapine in protection of neurodegeneration after traumatic brain injury

Objective Schizophrenia is a chronic psychotic disorder in which patients experience positive and negative symptoms for over six months. Schizophrenia is associated with early mortality, with 40% of this excess mortality due to suicide. This is a case of patient with schizophrenia who was treated with quetiapine after suffering a traumatic brain injury and recovered enough to be discharged to a rehabilitation unit. This case illustrates the neuroprotective effects of quetiapine in treating neurologic deficits in a patient who recently suffered a traumatic brain injury. Method This is a case report of a patient with schizophrenia treated in the hospital setting. He was placed on quetiapine after suffering a traumatic brain injury due to a suicide attempt in which he shot himself with a nail gun. Results The patient initially presented with neurologic deficits suggestive of traumatic brain injury (inattention, memory loss, muscle weakness) and psychosis from schizophrenia. He was treated with quetiapine and recovered enough to be discharged to a rehabilitation unit. Conclusion Quetiapine, a second-generation antipsychotic, has been shown to significantly decrease blood-brain barrier hyperpermeability by preserving tight junction integrity in small animal models. This anti-inflammatory effect may also help to preserve neurogenesis in patients with traumatic brain injury, as shown in this case. This case may help elucidate the nature of quetiapine's neuroprotective effects in patients who have suffered traumatic brain injury and also highlights the need to further investigate other atypical antipsychotics and their potential neuroprotective role in treating traumatic brain injury.