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[Behavioural problems and personality change related to cerebral amyloid angiopathy]

Maximilian Gahr1, Bernhard J Connemann, Carlos Schönfeldt-Lecuona

  • 1Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie III, Universitätsklinikum Ulm, Ulm. maximilian.gahr@uni-ulm.de

Psychiatrische Praxis
|September 14, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), a condition involving amyloid protein buildup, can cause significant psychiatric symptoms like personality changes. This highlights the need to consider CAA in elderly patients with unexplained behavioral issues.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Psychiatry
  • Amyloidosis

Background:

  • Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by beta-amyloid protein deposition in cerebral blood vessels.
  • While often presenting as neurological deficits such as intracerebral hemorrhage, CAA can also manifest with psychiatric disturbances.

Observation:

  • A case report details a 54-year-old female with probable CAA and mild cognitive impairment.
  • The patient exhibited significant behavioral difficulties and personality changes, requiring psychiatric intervention.

Findings:

  • The observed psychiatric symptoms were strongly associated with the underlying Cerebral amyloid angiopathy.
  • This case illustrates that psychiatric manifestations can be a primary or dominant feature of CAA.

Implications:

  • Cerebral amyloid angiopathy should be considered in the differential diagnosis of psychiatric symptoms, particularly personality changes and behavioral problems, in elderly patients.
  • Neuroimaging and cerebrospinal fluid analysis are recommended for diagnosing CAA in such cases.
Abstract

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