A stroke turned a 50-year-old woman into a real-life Othello.

The Othello Syndrome, also known as manic or pathological jealousy, is characterized by a delusional and unfounded belief in a partner's infidelity. There are numerous potential causes for this condition. It can occur in conjunction with certain mental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The Othello Syndrome may also arise from brain injuries, and at times, following a stroke. Recently, Moroccan doctors reported a rare case where a previously mentally healthy 50-year-old woman became an aggressive jealous partner as a result of an ischemic stroke.

2025-01-07 14:11:36https://naked-science.ru/article/medicine/insult-prevratil-v-otello

Medical professionals are aware that pathological jealousy can result from brain damage, but the specific areas affected remain insufficiently studied. In a recent clinical case report published by the scientific journal Neurocase, the authors concluded that post-stroke impairments in the thalamus, particularly its right side, contributed to the development of the Othello syndrome.

The study discusses a 50-year-old female patient who had no psychiatric disorders prior to the incident and had enjoyed over 30 years of a happy marriage. One day, while cooking, she experienced a headache and collapsed. She was urgently taken to the hospital, where examinations revealed a stroke. According to brain scans of the patient, an occlusion of the Percheron artery led to a bilateral thalamic infarction (a type of ischemic stroke) with significant damage to the right hemisphere.

The thalamus—a paired structure deep within the cerebral hemispheres—performs several crucial physiological functions. Specifically, it is responsible for relaying information from the sensory organs to the brain and plays a role in regulating consciousness, sleep and wakefulness, and attention concentration.

While the patient was in the hospital, she exhibited hallucinations and vision problems. However, after two weeks of hospitalization, her condition improved, and she was discharged. About two days later, she began to show signs of Othello syndrome, which intensified over time.

The woman suspected her husband of infidelity—first with her sister, then with a friend’s daughter. Her behavior became increasingly unpredictable: in her attempts to catch her husband cheating, she checked his phone, spied on him, and woke him at night with accusations. A year after the stroke, her jealousy became so manic that it escalated into physical aggression: she attacked her husband twice with sharp objects. She became so fixated on the alleged infidelity that she nearly lost interest in everything else.

As part of her therapy, doctors prescribed antipsychotic medications, and eventually, she was able to overcome the Othello syndrome. According to the authors of the report, the delusional beliefs about her husband's unfaithfulness were a consequence of damage to the thalamus, which disrupted the neural connections in the brain necessary for decision-making, sound judgment, and appropriate behavior.

The researchers emphasized the importance of timely recognition and treatment of this post-stroke complication, considering the social dangers posed by Othello syndrome.