Frontal lobe dysfunction

[yyyeung]

My boyfriend has multiple addictions (peeping and gambling).  Starting from 5 years ago, he has repetitive self-inflicting behavior (making scar at his body) and has impulse to press remote control.  At the same time, he has personality change, e.g. becomes apathetic, grandiose and egocentric.  His judgment and memory is affected also.   His volition is as well affected.    He always complainted migrains.   I eventually finds that he has habit of keeping mobile phone under his pillow for years (as he has to answer to emergency call of his work).   EEG indicates no abnormality but MRI two years ago finds small T2 hyperintense white matter foci in the bilateral fronto-parietal lobes.   Recently he is get caught for sexual offence.  I learn from neuropsy. information that there is neuro problem called frontal lobe symdrome.   Please kindly comment on his case, i.e. whether it is likely frontal lobe symdrome, whether it is related with the T2 hyperintense white matter foci and his keeping of mobile phone under his pillow, and the treatment method and prognosis.

Many many thanks.

Karen

[yyyeung]

Dear Ggreg,

Thank you so much for your very valuable  information and advice.  You mentions about sensation seeking and personality change and that's exactly his problem.   So, I somehow believe that it is related to his neuro. impairment.   He is actually on psychiatric medication already.  However, the drug compliance is fair.   I agree with you that there might be pent-up negative emotions and the behavior is somehow self-destructive.  I'm scheduling neuro-psy. and psychoanalytic assessment for him.   I have to be cautious about all these assessment as I don't want him feel labelled.

Many many thanks for your sincere advice for me to rethink about the relationship.  I will seriously consider about it while exploring other supportive network for him.

Regards,

Karen

[ggreg]

Lesions in the front PARIETAL LOBES have to do with sensations in the body.  The term you were looking at is locating the white matter foci at the FRONT of the PARIETAL LOBES.  But now, let us say it was the FRONTAL LOBES that they found white matter foci, well, that might affect his personality in a negative way, among many other things depending on where the damage is in those frontal lobes, which a problem in that location can be quite serious.  So, since the MRI was done two years ago, I think given his overall symptoms and the risk of new and similar damage to his frontal lobes, he needs a new workup by a neurologist and another scan, to see if things have changed in his brain.  

That said, I think your boyfriend is basically neurotic, but he has an awful problem as relates to "peeping," both of which require some commitment to weekly off-duty visits at a psychology clinic, there's inexpensive ones run by the county, and then there's private ones.  He might do very well by being on medication from them, that will make him feel a lot less restless, and they can give him tremendous emotional release by being the download people for his talk.  The self-injury thing, for some reason in recent years, some people are doing this to provide themselves a distraction for pent-up emotion, all the more reason for him to see a psychiatrist, but still in the sort of neurotic category.  But most definitely his peeping issue has GOT to be resolved before some football player, visiting his girlfriend being peeped at, jumps out the window and makes your boyfriend eat pavement.

The cell phone thing, there has been a lot of talk about the use of those phones and any health problems.  But keep in mind, the phone has to be in use, from what I understand.  Also, you are his girlfriend, not his wife, and if at any point you are uncomfortable with all of this, then for your own peace of mind, consider switching to friendship and moving in with some aquaintances or church people or a relative.  I don't think he is at that point, but I would be remiss if I didn't suggest it.