Neurological Disorders

 by Isobella Palmer-Ward

There are many different brain disorders that can happen either from birth or can be a result of certain neurological disorders. 

One of these disorders is called Prosopagnosia, also known as ‘Face Blindness’. This usually affects a person from birth and causes them to have trouble recognising faces, sometimes even be their own. This disorder affects as many as 1 in 50 people in varying degrees and a famous person who suspects he has the disorder is Brad Pitt.

A disorder that is also unusual is called Synesthesia. This is where the stimulation of one sensory pathway causes the stimulation of an unrelated sensory pathway. An example of this is associating a shape with a food or smell. This affects around 2-4% of the population. 

Another really unusual disorder is called the Capgras Syndrome, known as the ‘Imposter Syndrome’. This is where a person perceives a loved one to be a clone or other form of imposter rather than the person they know and love. This is rare and difficult to study, however it is suspected that a disconnection between areas of the brain that perceive faces and register emotion causes this. The research shows this is common between people with dementia, epilepsy, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and people who have suffered strokes or traumatic brain injuries.

The fourth unusual brain disorder is alien hand syndrome. This is where people lose control of one of their hands and can just watch as it moves but cannot do anything. This is caused by brain damage that disrupts movement and control, and is a very rare side effect of conditions such as brain tumours, strokes or traumatic brain injury. It is predicted that the syndrome may appear in around 30% of people with corticobasal syndrome, which is a variant of Parkinson’s disease.

Cotard's syndrome also known as ‘walking corpse’ syndrome is a rare condition where people hold delusions ranging from believing they are missing body parts to insisting that they are dead. The cause of this disorder is unknown but it is associated with psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia, psychotic depression, bipolar disorder and other underlying conditions such as dementia, epilepsy and brain tumours. 

Another neurological disorder is called Othello syndrome. People with this disorder usually display pathological jealousy to their partner and present delusions and even hallucinations. It is more common in people over 68 who have dementia and can also appear in patients on dopamine that have been prescribed dopamine to treat Parkinson’s. It can cause episodes of extreme violence.

Lastly, a disorder called Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis is caused by swelling to the brain. It causes hallucinations, delusion, involuntary movements, violence and epilepsy. Although there is no cure, there is treatment available such as immunotherapy treatment. However, 7% of patients with this disorder die and some others live with serious consequences. It is estimated that up to 90% of these cases are unnoticed or associated with another disorder.