$Unique_ID{BRK04067} $Pretitle{} $Title{Organic Personality Syndrome} $Subject{Organic Personality Syndrome Personality Syndrome Organic Antisocial Personality Disorder Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD Dementia Huntington's Chorea Huntington's Disease Schizophrenia Temporal Lobe Epilepsy} $Volume{} $Log{} Copyright (C) 1990 National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc. 782: Organic Personality Syndrome ** IMPORTANT ** It is possible that the main title of the article Organic Personality Syndrome) is not the name you expected. Please check the SYNONYM listing to find the alternate names and disorder subdivisions covered by this article. Synonyms Personality Syndrome, Organic Information on the following disorders can be found in the Related Disorders section of this report: Antisocial Personality Disorder Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Dementia Huntington's Chorea (Huntington's Disease) Schizophrenia Temporal Lobe Epilepsy General Discussion ** REMINDER ** The information contained in the Rare Disease Database is provided for educational purposes only. It should not be used for diagnostic or treatment purposes. If you wish to obtain more information about this disorder, please contact your personal physician and/or the agencies listed in the "Resources" section of this report. Organic Personality Syndrome is a mental disorder characterized by a persistent personality disturbance due to an organic cause. Significant changes in the personality may endure for a short or long time, depending on the cause. The degree of impairment varies in each case. Symptoms In Organic Personality Syndrome, character traits are either more pronounced or different from usual behavior. Symptoms usually show themselves in one of three basic patterns depending on the nature and location of the brain dysfunction. The first pattern is the most common, and is characterized by emotional instability, faulty social judgement, possible belligerence and/or an over-reactive temper. The person may engage in inappropriate social behavior without regard for the consequences (e.g. sexual indiscretions). The second pattern may include significant signs of apathy and indifference. The person has no concern for, or interest in his or her immediate environment or former customary hobbies. Both of these patterns may be caused by damage to the frontal lobes of the brain (frontal lobe syndromes). The third pattern of behavior, seen in some disorders affecting the temporal lobe, is marked by a strong tendency to be humorless and overly redundant in both speech and writing, and by overzealous religious devotion. Occasionally, the person may show extreme rage. One of the major changes in this behavior may be unreasonable suspiciousness or paranoid ideas. If the main symptom is outbursts of aggression or rage, the patient may be labeled as an "Explosive Type". Causes There are several possible causes for Organic Personality Syndrome. It is generally due to structural brain damage from neoplasms (tumors), head trauma, or cerebrovascular disease involving the upper part of the brain and the blood vessels supplying it. Less commonly, endocrine disorders such as thyroid and adrenocortical (outer part of adrenal gland) disease, or ingesting certain psychoactive substances (drugs that affect the mind or behavior) may cause this syndrome. The syndrome may be of short duration if caused by medications, drug abuse, or certain types of tumors that are surgically removed. It may be of long duration if it is secondary to structural brain damage. Affected Population Organic Personality Syndrome is a prevalent disorder that affects males and females of all ages in equal numbers. It is often a symptom of an underlying disease or condition. Related Disorders Symptoms of the following disorders can be similar to those of Organic Personality Syndrome. However, personality changes can occur in many disorders that are not due to an organic reason. Psychiatric and/or neurological consultation should be sought to determine the cause of any serious or prolonged change in behavior. Schizophrenia is a prevalent mental illness characterized by loss of contact with reality, marked deterioration in ability to function, and extreme personality change. Delusional disorders, mood disorders, and impulse control disorders are not related to Organic Personality Syndrome, even though they cause marked changes in personality. (For more information on this disorder, choose "Schizophrenia" as your search term in the Rare Disease Database). Antisocial Personality Disorder is a mental illness which usually manifests itself before the age of fifteen. Major symptoms include antisocial behavior in which there is little concern for the rights of others. Excessive drinking, fighting and irresponsibility may also occur. (For more information on this disorder, choose "Antisocial Personality Disorder" as your search term in the Rare Disease Database). Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition usually caused by abnormalities of the central nervous system. It often accompanies neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and Tourette syndrome. It may also be caused by a disruptive environment, child abuse or neglect in some cases. ADHD features unusual degrees of inattention, impulsiveness, and physical activity. It usually starts at a young age, half the time before the age of 4. (For more information on these disorders, choose "Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity", "Cerebral Palsy", "epilepsy", or "Tourette Syndrome" as your search term in the Rare Disease Database). The following disorders may be the primary underlying cause of Organic Personality Syndrome. They are not necessary for a differential diagnosis: Huntington's Chorea (also known as Huntington's Disease) is an inherited, progressively degenerative neurological illness leading to personality changes, loss of motor control, loss of memory, and eventual loss of both mental capability. (For more information on this disorder, choose "Huntington's Disease" as your search term in the Rare Disease Database). Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (also known as Psychomotor Epilepsy) is a central nervous system disorder originating in the temporal lobe area of the brain. It is characterized by partial seizures, impairment of consciousness, strange behavior, hallucinations that may involve odor, and visual perceptions. Organic Personality Syndrome may occur between seizures. (For more information on this disorder, choose "Epilepsy" as your search term in the Rare Disease Database). Organic Personality Syndrome may precede the development of dementia. Dementia is a progressive decline of the intellect (rational or intelligent thought) and includes changes in behavior and personality. It may be caused by one of several brain diseases or by injury to the brain. Dementia affects memory and abstract thinking as well as judgement. Sometimes personality change is the first symptom of an organic brain syndrome which eventually becomes dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease. The initial diagnosis is then changed from Organic Personality Syndrome to another disorder. (For more information on disorders characterized by dementia, choose "dementia" as your search term in the Rare Disease Database). Therapies: Standard In Organic Personality Syndrome, although the ability to reason, remember, imagine, and learn may not be affected, the individual's judgement may be so poor that continual supervision may be necessary. Left unattended, his or her behavior could cause difficult or dangerous problems. Treatment of Organic Personality Syndrome depends upon the cause. If it is due to medication or drug abuse, once the cause is identified, corrective action can be taken and the person's behavior usually returns to normal. If it is due to a brain tumor (neoplasm), much depends on the tumor type, the patient's age, tumor location and success of therapy. Surgery may be effective, and in some cases patients recover with little or no permanent change in their intellectual abilities and quality of life. If the Organic Personality Syndrome is due to another underlying neurological disorder, appropriate treatment for that disorder may be helpful. Therapies: Investigational Some research has been done on the effectiveness of certain antidepressant drugs. In the cases tested, patients had Organic Personality Syndrome with no other underlying neurological diseases, combined with depression. Many patients improved on antidepressant drugs and remission occurred in some patients. This disease entry is based upon medical information available through November 1990. Since NORD's resources are limited, it is not possible to keep every entry in the Rare Disease Database completely current and accurate. Please check with the agencies listed in the Resources section for the most current information about this disorder. Resources For more information on Organic Personality Syndrome, please contact: National Organization for Rare Disorders P.O. Box 8923 New Fairfield, CT 06812-1783 (203) 746-6518 National Mental Health Association 1021 Prince Street Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 684-7722 NIH/National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, MD 20205 (301) 443-4515 or (301) 496-1752 (800) 421-4211 (24 hrs.) References THE DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTICAL MANUAL OF MENTAL DISORDERS, 3rd ed. revised: Janet B. W. Williams, D.S.W., et al., eds.; American Psychiatric Association, 1987. Pp.50-53, 114-116. COGNITIVE OUTCOME AND QUALITY OF LIFE ONE YEAR AFTER SUBARACHNOID HAEMORRHAGE, P. McKenna, et al., Neurosurgery (March 1989, issue 24 (3)). Pp. 361-367. NATIONAL SURVEY OF PATTERNS OF CARE FOR BRAIN-TUMOR PATIENTS, M.S. Mahaley, Jr, et al., J Neurosurg (December 1989, issue 71 (6)). Pp. 826-836. NONPSYCHOTIC INVOLUTIONAL INHIBITED DEPRESSIONS AND PSYCHO-ORGANIC DETERIORATIONS: TREATMENT WITH VILOXAZINE AND PIRACETAM, A. Borromei, et al., Minerva Med (May 1989, issue 80 (5)). Pp. 475-482. PARTIAL SECTION OF THE CORPUS COLLOSUM: FOCAL SIGNS AND THEIR RECOVERY, A. Castro-Caldas, et al., Neurosurgery (September 1989, issue 25 (3)). Pp. 442-447.