Case Report: Dementia Pugilistica or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy

This paper describes the case of a patient possibly suffering from Dementia Pugilistica. The case derives its interest not merely from the rarity of the diagnosis itself but from the challenge to the neuropsychologist who is to identify if the neuropsychological deficits displayed by the patient should be attributed to a possible alcoholtoxic genesis or to the fact that the patient engaged in sport boxing over the course of several decades. Findings indicate a significant deceleration of stimulus-reaction capability as the main symptomatology; higher cognitive functions are more intact, even though systematic deteriorations in executive and mnestic function can be detected. The value and the profile of the neuropsychological pathology point to the presence of Dementia Pugilistica, whereby an alcoholtoxic genesis cannot be ruled out. Only the combined evidence of neuropsychological, radiological and anamnestic data leads the authors to diagnose the patient with Dementia Pugilistica respectively.