"Gourmand syndrome": eating passion associated with right anterior lesions.
We present a new benign eating disorder associated with lesions involving parts of the right anterior cerebral hemisphere. This "gourmand" syndrome describes a preoccupation with food and a preference for fine eating. Two exemplary case reports illustrate this new syndrome. Analysis of the clinical and anatomical data of 36 patients who displayed this behavior revealed, in 34, a strong association with lesion location in the right anterior part of the brain involving cortical areas, basal ganglia, or limbic structures. Our finding provides further evidence of a correlation between right hemispheric damage, eating, and other impulse control disorders. We conjecture that the serotonergic system subserves different functions in the left and right hemisphere.
Regard
M
M
University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland.
Landis
T
T
D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000150:complications; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013577:Syndrome; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed