Citation

Hartzell JW, Geary R, Gyure K, Chivukula VR, Haut MW. Neurodegener. Dis. Manag. 2018; 8(2): 81-88.

Affiliation

Department of Radiology, West Virginia University School of Medicine, WV 26506, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Future Medicine)

DOI

10.2217/nmt-2017-0045

PMID

29319406

Abstract

We report a case of a 57-year-old male with clinically diagnosed and autopsy-confirmed early onset Alzheimer's disease who completed suicide by gunshot wound to the chest. This case has several unique aspects that have not been discussed in previous case reports of completed suicide in Alzheimer's disease. In particular, our patient's death was highly planned with successful compensation for his cognitive deficits. After all firearms had been removed from the home as a safety precaution, he obtained a new weapon, hid it and left himself cues to find and use it. The case is discussed in the context of literature differentiating the neural circuitry propagating impulsive versus planned suicidal acts.

Language: en

Keywords

Alzheimer’s disease; early onset; suicide