ABSTRACT

Limbic psychotic trigger reaction (LPTR) includes paroxysmal, out-of-character, motiveless, unplanned felonies (or similarly bizarre social misbehavior), all committed during flat affect, autonomic arousal and a fleeting de novo psychosis. A transient limbic hyperactivation is implicated that impairs prefrontal monitoring (judgment, planning, intent, volition, emotional participation) but preserves memory for the acts. It is hypothesized that LPTR implicates an atavistic regression to a limbic ‘paleo-consciousness’, exemplified by a 24th patient (parental infanticide), presented herein. He had closed head injury and borderline abnormal posterior brain pathology (EEG/CT), which might have contributed to his unusually numerous visual hallucinations.