[The power plants of the cell: Treatment of psychiatric symptoms in patients with mitochondriopathy].

Mitochondriopathies are pathologies of cell organelles, which are essential for the formation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is responsible for cellular energy stock. When mitochondrial mutations occur, symptoms arise frequently in those organs that rely on a continuous energy supply, such as the nervous system. Although psychiatric illness is increasingly prevalent in patients with mitochondrial disease, less attention has been paid to its psychiatric presentations. We describe a case of a 21-year-old woman who presented in our outpatient department with panic attacks and depression. The patient experienced major side effects after low-dose sertraline therapy. Mitochondriopathies belong to the class of rare illnesses in psychiatry; nevertheless, they require adaptations of psychopharmacological therapy. Psychotropic drugs are potential respiratory chain inhibitors and could lead to distinct side effects.