title: Hyperreligiosity in malignant brain tumors: a case report and accompanying bibliographic review.
abstract: Religion is a complex cognitive process with biopsychosocial and cultural dimensions, product of the activation of different circuits of the neocortex. In some cases, religiosity can appear as a pathological correlate in patients with brain lesions in the areas involved. We present the clinical case of a patient with an astrocytoma in the right prefrontal region, with apparent inflammatory involvement of the right temporal lobe. This tumor debuted almost exclusively as an alteration of personality consisting of hyperreligiosity, logorrhea, and mystical experiences. A review of the literature has been conducted and possible pathophysiological mechanisms are proposed.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hematology & Medical Oncology , Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer , Murcia , Spain.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carmona-Bayonas
authors.affiliation: b Oncology Service , Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias , Oviedo , Spain.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Fonseca
authors.affiliation: c Radiology Service, Neuro-radiology Section , Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer , Murcia , Spain.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vázquez Olmos
authors.affiliation: d Radiology Service , Hospital Universitario de Getafe , Madrid , Spain.|e Department of Neurology , Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias , Oviedo , Spain.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vega Villar
mesh_terms: D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000150:complications*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D016206:Databases, Bibliographic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005162:Factitious Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012067:Religion
keywords: Hyperreligiosity; astrocytoma; ecstatic seizures; hallucinations; limbic encephalitis