Klüver–Bucy syndrome, hypersexuality, and the law

Abstract

A 51-year-old right-handed man developed hypersexuality after a second right temporal lobectomy to treat epilepsy. His hypersexuality started with increased marital intercourse and masturbation but he later downloaded child pornography. Hyperphagia and distractibility, other features of the Klüver–Bucy syndrome, also developed. Resection of the amygdala and/or temporal lobe neocortical areas that inhibit other limbic areas may contribute to the pathogenesis of hypersexuality. Neurological factors mitigate the criminal responsibility for hypersexual activity in patients with Klüver–Bucy syndrome. Most previously reported patients were never charged with a crime despite uninvited physical contact in some instances. Our patient was convicted and imprisoned.