J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 1994; 6:455-466
Copyright © 1994 by American Neuropsychiatric Association
The frontal lobes and content-specific delusions
PF Malloy and ED Richardson
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, Rhode Island.
Contemporary research has shown that delusions are often the product of
identifiable neurologic disease, particularly when the delusions have a
specific theme or are confined to one topic--monosymptomatic or content-
specific delusions. Although these delusions are considered rare, some of
them can be found at high rates in certain populations and settings. The
literature on several classes of content-specific delusions
(misidentification, sexual, and somatic) is critically reviewed. The review
demonstrates that when adequate diagnostic workups are conducted, a high
proportion of such delusions are found to have a neurologic basis. Lesions
of the frontal lobes and the right hemisphere are shown to be critical to
the development and persistence of many content-specific delusions.
