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[A case of encephalitis with hyperfamiliarity for faces]
Natsuki Miyakoshi1, Mitsuaki Bando, Toshio Shimizu
1Department of Neurology, Tokyo Metropolitan Neurological Hospital.
Rinsho Shinkeigaku = Clinical Neurology
|May 26, 2015
Summary
A young woman experienced encephalitis, leading to memory loss and a peculiar symptom of hyperfamiliarity with strangers' faces. This case suggests left temporal lobe dysfunction may cause facial recognition anomalies.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuropsychology
Background:
- Encephalitis can present with diverse neurological symptoms, including memory impairment and altered facial recognition.
- Temporal lobe epilepsy and lesions are associated with various cognitive and perceptual disturbances.
Observation:
- A 21-year-old woman developed fever, headache, seizures, and amnesia, diagnosed as encephalitis.
- Post-symptom onset, she experienced hyperfamiliarity for unfamiliar faces for 20 days, without prosopagnosia or altered emotional valence.
- Electroencephalogram (EEG) showed left temporal lobe spike waves, while MRI was normal.
Findings:
- The patient exhibited both anterograde and retrograde amnesia, with persistent retrograde amnesia until discharge.
- Impaired verbal memory was noted on neuropsychological testing.
- The unusual symptom of hyperfamiliarity for faces correlated with left temporal lobe abnormalities.
Implications:
- This case highlights a potential link between left temporal lobe dysfunction and the experience of hyperfamiliarity.
- Further research is warranted to understand the neural mechanisms underlying facial recognition and familiarity processing.
- Findings contribute to the understanding of complex cognitive deficits following encephalitis.
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