Akinetic mutism in a patient with acute infarcts in the bilateral substantia nigra

Akinetic mutism is defined as an extreme form of behavioral abnormalities relating to reduced activity and slowness [1]. The pathophysiology of akinetic mutism is explained by neural interruptions in the frontal-subcortical circuit that impact the dopaminergic system [2]. The frontal subcortical circuit includes the anterior cingulate cortex, anterior thalamus, caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, internal capsule, and substantia nigra [3]. Therefore, most patients displaying symptoms of akinetic mutism experience neurodegenerative or psychiatric conditions such as advanced Alzheimer's disease, Creutzfeld-Jakob's disease, Pick's disease, catatonic schizophrenia, or severe depression or stroke in the frontal-subcortical circuit [4].
Source: Journal of the Neurological Sciences - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: research