Thought disorder in atypical schizophrenia-like psychosis after stroke: analysis of clinical cases

ABSTRACT

Formal thought disorder refers to disorganized thinking and it represents a hallmark of schizophrenia and psychosis. Psychosis is a rare complication after stroke.

We described two cases of female patients, who developed an atypical schizophrenia-like psychosis post-stroke, characterized by formal thought disorder, hallucinations, and delusion. Cerebrovascular disease affected the right temporal lobe, areas devoted to modulation of higher order cognitive processes.

To date, the relation between stroke and psychosis remain unclear, maybe due to the involvement of a complex brain networks. However, the high impact of this disorder on physical, psychological and social wellbeing suggests the importance of improving specific treatments.

KEYWORDS:

• Cerebellum
• insula
• psychosis
• stroke
• thought disorders

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.