A case of abulia, status/post right middle cerebral artery territory infarct, treated successfully with olanzapine.
Abulia refers to a pathological deficit of willpower. Disruption of frontal-subcortical-mesolimbic circuits caused by lesions in certain central nervous system structures has been associated with abulia. Given the neurobiological link between the dopaminergic reward system and the psychological phenomenon of motivation, it has been speculated that modulating dopaminergic neurotransmission will potentially alter the clinical presentation of abulia. We present a case of abulia S/P right middle cerebral artery, treated successfully with olanzapine.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA.
David R
DR
Spiegel
Aparna
A
Chatterjee
D000405:Akinetic Mutism / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D059290:Dopaminergic Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077152:Olanzapine
D001569:Benzodiazepines; D000077152:Olanzapine; D004298:Dopamine