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Neurobehavioral presentations of brain neoplasms
C M Filley1, B K Kleinschmidt-DeMasters
1Department of Neurology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver 80262-0813, USA.
The Western Journal of Medicine
|July 1, 1995
Summary
Brain neoplasms can cause psychiatric symptoms. Neuroimaging is recommended for patients over 40 with mental state changes or those with unexplained psychiatric symptoms to identify potential brain tumors.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Distinguishing psychiatric disease from structural brain lesions is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment.
- Cerebral neoplasms can manifest with diverse psychiatric symptoms, complicating differential diagnosis.
Observation:
- Eight patients with frontal or temporolimbic neoplasms presented with psychiatric symptoms.
- Frontal lobe tumors were associated with abulia, personality change, and depression.
- Temporolimbic tumors presented with hallucinations, mania, panic attacks, or amnesia.
Findings:
- Clinical presentations correlated with tumor location determined by computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
- Neurobehavioral syndromes resolved or abated in 7 of 8 patients after treatment.
- Frontal and temporolimbic systems are critical in the pathogenesis of neurobehavioral disorders.
Implications:
- Neuroimaging is recommended for patients over 40 with new-onset cognitive or emotional changes.
- Brain imaging should be considered for psychiatric presentations with specific neurobehavioral findings or poor treatment response.
- These findings highlight the importance of considering brain tumors in psychiatric differential diagnoses.