Brazilian stroke victim cannot stop helping others after developing pathological generosity because of changes in the brain
- Man, 49, developed 'excessive and persistent generosity' according to researchers
- Lost control of his finances and couldn't return to his job in a large corporation following change in behavior
- Stroke victim said it was time to 'enjoy life' and 'be in high spirits'
The man's frontal lobe showed signs of low blood flow, although the stroke occurred in a subcortical region of the brain which is linked to higher level thinking
A man in Brazlil developed what doctors have called pathological generosity, after a stroke damaged parts of his brain causing his behaviour to change.
The 49-year-old began to give away money, food and drinks excessively after a stroke disrupted the part of his brain related to higher thinking and decision making.
Researchers at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro concluded the man was left with 'excessive and persistent generosity' by the stroke which was brought on by bleeding in his brain.
Doctors were able to determine the
stroke occurred in a subcortical region of Mr A's brain which controls
higher level thinking, and therefore could have affected areas
associated with regulating normal behavior.
It was caused by bleeding in the brain, a side effect of the man's high blood pressure.
experts say knowing where the stroke occurred does not predict changes
in behavior or personality, as the complexity of networks means an area
not necessarily next to the injury can be affected.
Dr Larry Goldstein, a neurologist and director of the Stroke Centre at Duke University said: 'Although the observation of personality change is not that unusual, this particular one is apparently novel.'
The doctor told the Huffington Post: 'Stroke can cause a whole variety of neuropsychological and behavioral changes', adding that brain damage caused by low oxygen supply can lead to emotional changes with depression being the most common.
Stroke has also been known to cause uncontrollable laughing or crying or neglect syndrome, in which people don't recognize one side of their visual field.
Doctors at the University in Rio de Janeiro found Mr A's case particularly interesting as it represented the opposite attitude to conditions which result from stroke more commonly, such as hoarding and sociopathy.
Studies have indicated in the past that certain brain structures, including the region which registers reward, have been involved in instances of generosity like donating anonymously donating to charity.
The researchers said Mr A's condition could shed light on the relationship between 'altruism and egoism' which are crucial to decision making.
According to the man's wife he started giving away money and food excessively and became unable to control his finances
According to his wife, the man spent
his money on food and drink for children in the street, and was
incapable of resuming his managerial job within a large corporation after the stroke.
asked by researchers if he wanted to return to work, he reportedly said
he had worked enough and that it was time to 'enjoy life which is too
Mr A told doctors he was aware of changes in his behavior and claimed he 'saw death from close up' and wanted to 'be in high spirits' from then onwards.
Other streaks of generous behavior have been linked to people with mania, dementia and Parkinson's disease when treated, but Mr A showed no symptoms of such conditions when psychologically evaluated.
He reported being depressed, forgetful and unable to focus, and showed symptoms usually associated with damage in the frontal lobe of the brain such as lack of persistence or impaired judgement.
A CT scan showed low blood flow in several brain regions, including areas in the frontal lobe.
These regions, although far from the bleed focus, are connected with it by neural pathways, which may have been the interrupted the interplay of neural systems that contribute to personality traits, researchers say.
Mr. A was put on medication to treat his depression and said he felt cured two years later, but his generosity was unchanged.
The full report was published on August 20 in the journal, Neurocase.