Severe behavioral changes in a patient with Fahr's disease

Abstract

We report on a case of a 40 year-old man with Fahr's disease, defined by idiopathic bilateral basal ganglia calcification, who developed depressive disorder, motor and phonic tics, stereotyped behaviors such as punding and personality changes with significant social and familiar implications. We discuss about the psychopathology of Fahr's disease and the relevance of the basal ganglia in the determination of human's behavior. © 2006 Associação Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria.