The EEG Speaks for the Patient: Identification and Treatment of Akinetic Mutism with Comorbid Delirium

Akinetic mutism is a constellation of psychoneurological symptoms characterized by profound apathy and a lack of verbal and motor output for action, despite preserved alertness and the intention or wish to speak. The syndrome has been observed in a wide variety of clinical scenarios. It can occur concomitantly with neuropsychiatric illnesses and in patients without global cerebral dysfunction.1 The frontal regions of the brain appear to be most commonly implicated with additional emphasis on the mesocortical dopamine pathway.

Source: Psychosomatics - November 15, 2017 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Moein Foroughi, Robert J. Morgan Source Type: research