Psychiatric and neurological reactions to cycloserine in the treatment of tuberculosis.

Early observations on the use of cycloserine have revealed disturbing emotional and neurological side effects attendant upon the administration of this new antibiotic to a number of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.” 2, 3 Perhaps the most striking of these reactions have been epileptiform seizures, varying from slight tremors to grand mal convulsions. In most of these cases, the convulsions occurred among patients who had no previous history of epilepsy. Several patients also were reported to have experienced marked changes in mood ranging from depression and somnolence to excitatory reactions. The aim of this study was to evaluate further the psychiatric and neurologic reactions of patients to cycloserine. This investigation is part of a broader pilot study on cycloserine therapy being conducted in Veterans Administration hospitals in conjunction with the Veterans AdministrationArmed Forces Study on the Chemotherapy of Tuberculosis.