[Abulia: a case of cerebral infarction in the bilateral genua of internal capsules].

A patient was presented with an outstanding symptom of abulia due to cerebral infarcts in the bilateral genua of internal capsules. A 53-year-old woman, generally in good health and active, had no contributory medical history except for hypertension. She was well until August 20, 1988, when she was noted to have become taciturn and absent-minded. In the morning, she got up and went to work as usual. Although she worked without trouble, she hardly talked with her colleagues. After getting home from work, she would lie down without doing any housework, and this was continued on the following day. However, she had no physical problems. She was thus admitted to a hospital on August 22. Lethargy and urinary incontinence were apparent for a few days. Thereafter she became awakeful and could take care of herself. She sat on her bed all the time, and could talk normally with her daughter. She was referred subsequently to the Department of Neurology, Hyogo Prefectural Tsukaguchi Hospital on August 30. On examination, the patient was alert, polite and cooperative with no physical abnormalities except for high blood pressure. Neurological examination indicated the patient to be attentive and well-oriented. Cranial nerves and eye movements were normal except for slight anisocoria and sluggish pupils. There were no muscle weakness, extrapyramidal signs, or cerebellar signs. Deep tendon reflexes were normal. Babinski signs and forced grasping were not noted. A neuropsychological study showed the patient not to be demented, aphasic, or apraxic.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)