Abstract Details

Title An Unusual Case of Stalking: The Neurologic Implications of Erotomania in Decompensated Schizophrenia

Topic Aging, Dementia, and Behavioral Neurology

Presentation(s) Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology Posters (7:00 AM-5:00 PM)

Poster/Presentation
Number 047

Objective To analyze a patient with decomepensated Schizophrenia exhibiting stalking behavior and re-emergence of cognitive function and executive functioning.

Background Individuals that exhibit stalking behaviors commonly have some type of delusional disorder, frequently Erotomanic type. However, most research suggests that successful stalking would require the perpetrator to have experience, careful planning, actions which would require higher cortical functioning which often is not observed in schizophrenic patients. Schizophrenia is a psychiatric illness where the patients have gross decline in global functioning. Neurological changes in patients with schizophrenia often render them to a disabled state where they cannot have normal daily functioning that necessitate meticulous use of executive functions. Here we present a patient with Schizophrenia and a history of medication noncompliance, now in a decompensated state presenting with erotomania.

Design/Methods A literature review was conducted using PubMed, NCBI, and ScienceDirect using the following keywords: Cognitive execute function and Schizophrenia, stalking and Schizophrenia, frontotemporal deficits and stalking, frontotemporal deficits and erotomania, global dysfunction brain schizophrenia, stalking, typology of stalking, stalking and mental illness, stalking and mental disorders, meta-analysis stalking mental illness. This yielded 16 publications to analyze stalking behavior, erotomania, and patients who are likely to exhibit such behavior. However, in this case no papers were found of decompensated schizophrenics exhibiting erotomania which directly resulted in stalking or criminal behavior.

Results Patient was stabilized on new regimen of antipsychotic and mood stabilizer. He developed insight into his behaviors and illness and consented to long-term medication.

Conclusions This case illustrates that even in a decompensated state, Schizophrenic patients may be able to successfully execute the higher cognitive and executive function required for complex stalking behavior. This case presents difficulty in patients with such capabilities as they can relapse into their obsessive stalking behavior once their stimulus is reintroduced to them in an uncontrolled setting.

Authors/Disclosures
Jenny Abdulkarim, MD (Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital) PRESENTER	Ms. Abdulkarim has nothing to disclose.
Jenny Abdulkarim, MD (Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital)	Ms. Abdulkarim has nothing to disclose.
Jenny Abdulkarim, MD (Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital)	Ms. Abdulkarim has nothing to disclose.

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