Neuroanatomical correlates of delusions in head injury

Twelve patients with organic delusions during recovery from head injury were studied in comparison to a control of non-deluded head injured patients. Clinical data such as duration of unconsciousness, length of post traumatic amnesia and occurrence of brain-stem signs pointed to the presence of subcortical functional disruption in these patients. Clinical and psychometric data indicated that left hemispheric functions were more impaired than those of the right. Recent concepts in the biomechanics of head injury indicated that subcortical and left sided dysfunction following head injury was significantly associated with the occurrence of delusions.