Delusions of love and passion in the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia

Neurocase. 2023 Apr;29(2):37-45. doi: 10.1080/13554794.2024.2345110. Epub 2024 Apr 27.

Abstract

Erotomania (de Clérambault's syndrome) refers to the delusional belief that another person, usually socially unreachable, is in love with the holder of the delusion. The occurrence of erotomania in Frontotemporal Dementia has rarely been reported. We present the unique case of a 59-year-old woman with a strong family history of early-onset dementia in whom erotomania was the initial manifestation that led to a diagnosis of definite Behavioral Variant of Frontotemporal Dementia with a pathogenic missense mutation in the MAPT gene. Based on this case, we propose a hypothetical model for developing erotomania in patients with FTD.

Keywords: Erotomania; de Clérambault Syndrome; delusion; frontotemporal dementia; social cognition.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Delusions* / etiology
  • Female
  • Frontotemporal Dementia* / genetics
  • Frontotemporal Dementia* / psychology
  • Humans
  • Love
  • Middle Aged
  • Mutation, Missense
  • tau Proteins* / genetics

Substances

  • MAPT protein, human