title: Criminal manifestations of dementia patients: report from the national forensic hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Some dementia patients have profound behavioral and psychological symptoms which might cause legal violation. We illustrate clinical and criminal characteristics of dementia patients who had been incarcerated because of criminal activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  The National Forensic Hospital is the only hospital-based correctional facility in the Republic of Korea which incarcerates criminals with psychiatric or neurological disease. Between May 2008 and April 2009, those patients who had been diagnosed with dementia in the National Forensic Hospital were included in the study. We reviewed their medical and legal reports.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 7 dementia patients out of 752 patients, including 2 Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, 1 vascular dementia patient, and 4 patients with alcohol-related dementia. Criminal behavior included simple larceny by the 2 AD patients, and multiple violent crimes in a drunken state by the other 5 patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study reported diverse criminal behaviors among dementia patients. Inebriation may be related to violent criminal behavior among some dementia patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Hospital, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Keun-Hwa
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Soon-Tae
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sang-Sub
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Sang Kun
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lee