Bipolar disorder following a stroke involving the left hemisphere

Objective: Post-stroke mania has rarely been noted and researched, and reported cases have mostly involved the non-dominant hemisphere. In this paper, we report a case of bipolar disorder secondary to a stroke over the dominant hemisphere. Clinical picture: A 48-year-old, right-handed man had a cerebral infarct over the left temporal region. He became depressed after the stroke, and 4 months later developed a manic episode. Treatment: The patient was treated with haloperidol and lorazepam. Outcome: The symptoms subsided within 2 months after treatment. Conclusions: It is premature to consider mania to be a syndrome of the right, or non-dominant, hemisphere. We suggest that further study focusing on specific anatomical regions, rather than laterality, will help to elucidate the interrelationship between mood and brain function.