Effectiveness of risperidone in psychogenic stiff neck

A 48-year-old woman suffering from treatment-resistant psychogenic stiff neck and severe depression had been treated with a varied regimen of medications, including antidepressants, neuroleptics, and antiepileptics. These treatments did not result in improvement. Therefore, she was treated with a combination of sertraline and risperidone. Depressive symptoms decreased within a few weeks of treatment initiation. The psychogenic stiff neck, which had begun to improve within the first 2 weeks, had disappeared completely after 6 months of treatment with risperidone alone. This case report suggests that risperidone may be effective in some neurological motor disorders comorbid with mood disorders.