Carmona-Bayonas A, Jiménez-Fonseca P, Vázquez Olmos C, Vega Villar J. Hyperreligiosity in malignant brain tumors: a case report and accompanying bibliographic review.
Neurocase 2017;
23:88-95. [PMID:
27938192 DOI:
10.1080/13554794.2016.1265985]
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Abstract
Religion is a complex cognitive process with biopsychosocial and cultural dimensions, product of the activation of different circuits of the neocortex. In some cases, religiosity can appear as a pathological correlate in patients with brain lesions in the areas involved. We present the clinical case of a patient with an astrocytoma in the right prefrontal region, with apparent inflammatory involvement of the right temporal lobe. This tumor debuted almost exclusively as an alteration of personality consisting of hyperreligiosity, logorrhea, and mystical experiences. A review of the literature has been conducted and possible pathophysiological mechanisms are proposed.
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