title: The neuro-behavioural syndrome of brainstem disease.
abstract: We describe two patients with isolated brainstem lesions who exhibited behavioural and cognitive changes that are commonly associated with frontal lobe pathology, as leading clinical features. These cases illustrate the role of distributed neural networks in cognitive and behavioural processes. The brainstem, frontal-subcortical and limbic systems are extensively and reciprocally linked via neurotransmitter projection pathways. We argue that cognitive and behavioural features in patients with brainstem lesions reflect remote effects of brainstem structures on frontal lobe and limbic regions, as a consequence of disruption to ascending neurotransmitter pathways.
authors.affiliation: Dementia Research Centre, Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Omar
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ron
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Lees
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Rossor
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Kartsounis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000473:pathology*; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008032:Limbic System / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000473:pathology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010551:Personality