Dementia mimicking a sudden cognitive and behavioral change induced by left globus pallidus infarction: review of two cases.
Recently there has been increasing interest in the non-motor functions of the globus pallidus, and especially its role in cognitive processing. We experienced two patients with acute cognitive and behavior changes after globus pallidus infarctions. Examination of both revealed inattention, decreased verbal fluency, emotional blunting, and amnesia. There were no other sensory or motor symptoms. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed focal acute cerebral infarction in the left globus pallidus. Neuropsychological assessment revealed decreased frontal executive function, with verbal memory disturbance. These cases suggest that strategic infarction dementia can result from a single globus pallidus lesion.
Department of Neurology, Gachon University, Gil Medical Center, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
Su Hyun
SH
Kim
Kee Hyung
KH
Park
Young Hee
YH
Sung
Yeoung Bae
YB
Lee
Hyun Mi
HM
Park
Dong Jin
DJ
Shin
D000368:Aged; D001519:Behavior; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003704:Dementia / Q000209:etiology*; D005917:Globus Pallidus / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests