Delayed posthypoxic leukoencephalopathy following alcohol and psychotropic drug overdose: a case report

A case report of long-term effects of Delayed post-hypoxic leukoencephalopathy (DPHL) following benzodiazepine overdose

Objective: We report a neuropsychological evaluation for a 39-year-old, right-handed, white female who 8 years ago developed delayed post-hypoxic leukoencephalopathy (DPHL), a rare demyelinating syndrome, two-weeks following an anoxic brain injury due to an overdose from benzodiazepines. Methods: An extensive record review documenting her medical timeline and treatment over the last 8 years was conducted using the available EMR system, which also included both EEG and neuroimaging data. Eight years post injury, a comprehensive neuropsychological battery was administered with corrected normative data for age, race, education, and other demographic factors when available. Collected data was compared with other case reports of DPHL. Results: The neuropsychological profile indicated difficulties across multiple cognitive domains that appeared driven by executive dysfunction, likely related to fronto-subcorto-striatal dysfunction. Conclusion: As a rare disease, the process by which DPHL occurs is not fully understood. Our results revealed similar findings in the literature for learning and memory, attention, processing speed, and executive functions. This is discussed in the context of available neuroimaging while highlighting the value of comprehensive neuropsychological assessment in DPHL even years post-injury.