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Neurological Rehabilitation

Kluver-Bucy Syndrome after Traumatic Brain Injury: A Case Report

Thursday, October 23, 2025
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM MT
Location: Open Kiosks

    Primary Author(s)

  • RB

    Ryan A. Brady, MD

    Resident Physician
    ECU Health (Vidant Medical Center/East Carolina University) PM&R Program
    Winterville, North Carolina

    • Co-Author(s)

  • Kevin Chin, MD

    Resident
    ECU Health (Vidant Medical Center/East Carolina University) PM&R Program
    Greenville, North Carolina

  • RH

    Reid Huckabee, Other

    Medical student
    Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine
    Bristol, Tennessee

  • RL

    Robert Lombard, MD

    Assistant Clinical Professor
    ECU Health (Vidant Medical Center/East Carolina University) PM&R Program
    Grimesland, North Carolina

    • Poster Presenter(s)

  • Isaac N. Asemota, MS (he/him/his)

    Medical Student
    ECU Brody School of Medicine
    Greenville, North Carolina

Disclosure(s):
Ryan A. Brady, MD: No financial relationships to disclose
Kevin Chin, MD: No financial relationships to disclose
Robert Lombard, MD: No financial relationships to disclose
Isaac N. Asemota, MS: No financial relationships to disclose
Case Diagnosis: 24-year-old male with Kluver-Bucy Syndrome following a traumatic brain injury.

Case Description or Program Description: A 24-year-old male arrived in the emergency department following an ATV rollover accident. Imaging revealed multicompartmental brain injury including bilateral frontal lobe hematomas, hemorrhagic axonal injury, subdural and subarachnoid hemorrhages. Following stabilization in the acute hospital, he was transferred to inpatient rehabilitation for continued recovery and gain of function. Upon admission, he was given a RANCHO score of 4-5 due to inappropriate responses, restlessness, and agitation. However, over the following days, he displayed a unique pattern of behavior including biting and chewing, a notable increase in appetite and a seemingly dull affect despite a constant desire to act on his surroundings. Multiple female therapists also reported inappropriate and sexual comments toward them during sessions. Kluver Bucy Syndrome was suspected, and the patient was started on Carbamazepine to assist with control of these behaviors.

Setting: Tertiary care inpatient rehabilitation hospital.

Assessment/Results: As Carbamazepine was uptitrated (eventually to 500mg TID), patient became less compulsive. He also stopped treating female therapists inappropriately altogether. He did maintain an oral fixation, and his appetite persisted throughout his recovery, but with medication on board, it was less disruptive to his recovery.

Discussion (relevance): KBS is a rare neurobehavioral disorder resulting from damage to the medial temporal lobes, particularly the amygdala and hippocampus, characterized by symptoms such as hyperorality, hypersexuality, and changes in dietary habits and emotional responses. It is typically associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, but in rare cases can follow traumatic brain injuries. One option that has been previously studied for controlling symptoms in such cases is carbamazepine, which had a strong effect on this patient’s outcome during his rehab course.

Conclusions: Appropriately identifying and treating symptoms of Kluver Bucy Syndrome in brain injury patients can help facilitate a more cohesive and fluid recovery.