Klüver-Bucy Syndrome

What is Klüver-Bucy syndrome?

Klüver-Bucy syndrome (KBS) is an extremely rare brain disorder that can cause memory loss and behavioral problems. Some people with this disease try to eat nonfood items. Others have an unusually intense sex drive. In severe cases, symptoms include seizures and dementia.

Damage to your temporal lobes causes Klüver-Bucy (pronounced KLOO-ver BYU-see) syndrome. This part of your brain helps:

• Form new memories
• Control your behavior related to food and sex
• Process your emotions and information about senses

Symptoms usually start after a brain injury or health condition damages both your temporal lobes. It can affect anyone, including children.

There’s no cure for KBS. But treatment can help reduce symptoms. Early diagnosis is important.

What are Klüver-Bucy syndrome symptoms?

Klüver-Bucy syndrome can cause a variety of symptoms. Many symptoms change how you think about eating or putting things in your mouth, like:

• Binge eating and purging (bulimia nervosa)
• Compulsive eating (hyperphagia)
• Compulsive smoking or drinking alcohol
• Eating inedible objects (pica)
• Putting objects in your mouth or inappropriate licking (hyperorality)

It’s common for people with Klüver-Bucy syndrome to experience hypersexuality. This means you’ll have an extreme sex drive. You’ll want sex more often or more intensely than usual. Children with KBS may hold or rub their genitals or thrust their pelvis back and forth.

Other Klüver-Bucy syndrome symptoms affect how your brain works (its cognitive function). You might experience:

• Amnesia
• Dementia
• Distractibility
• Not feeling anger or fear responses
• Not recognizing familiar people or objects when looking at them (visual agnosia)
• Seizures

What causes Klüver-Bucy syndrome?

Klüver-Bucy syndrome happens when something damages your brain’s temporal lobes. Providers call this bilateral temporal lobe damage, meaning the damage affects the temporal lobe on both sides of your brain. You’re more likely to develop KBS if the damage affects your hippocampus or amygdala.

The damage is often due to a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or a stroke. Health conditions that damage your brain can also cause KBS. Examples include:

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Herpes simplex that causes brain inflammation (encephalitis)
• Huntington’s disease
• Meningoencephalitis
• Pick’s disease
• Tuberculosis
• Whipple’s disease

Healthcare providers sometimes use other names for Klüver-Bucy syndrome, depending on its cause. They might call it:

• Bilateral temporal lobe disorder
• Post-encephalitic Klüver-Bucy syndrome
• Post-traumatic Klüver-Bucy syndrome

What are the complications of Klüver-Bucy syndrome?

Having Klüver-Bucy syndrome can make you do things you usually wouldn’t. Some of these actions might be dangerous. Some examples include:

• Pica can make you eat or put things that aren’t food in your mouth. This can increase your risk of poisoning or other dangerous complications from ingesting objects you shouldn’t.
• Bulimia or other eating disorders can damage your body or cause fatal complications.
• Hypersexuality can make you practice unsafe sex or act inappropriately.

How is Klüver-Bucy syndrome diagnosed?

You may notice new symptoms or unusual behaviors in yourself or your child. Or your healthcare provider may notice symptoms during a checkup.

Tell your provider if you’ve noticed any new or different cravings or behaviors. Don’t be embarrassed or ashamed to talk to your provider about what you’re experiencing. The sooner you talk to a provider, the better. They can help you avoid dangerous complications.

Your provider will diagnose Klüver-Bucy syndrome with a physical exam and some tests, including:

• Blood tests
• CT scan
• Electroencephalogram (EEG)
• MRI

What are Klüver-Bucy syndrome treatments?

Your provider will suggest treatments to manage the symptoms you’re experiencing. What you’ll need can vary. It usually depends on which symptoms you have and their severity.

Klüver-Bucy syndrome treatments can include:

• Antidepressants
• Antipsychotics
• Antiseizure medications
• Antivirals (if you have a viral infection)
• Carbamazepine or leuprolide (to manage sexual behavior problems)
• Mood stabilizers
• Occupational therapy (if you need help managing daily activities)

Your provider will help you find treatments that reduce how often KBS symptoms affect your daily routine. There’s no cure for Klüver-Bucy syndrome. That’s because you can’t reverse the brain damage that causes it.

What can I expect if I have Klüver-Bucy syndrome?

You should expect to manage Klüver-Bucy syndrome symptoms for a long time — probably for the rest of your life.

How much KBS affects you can vary depending on a few factors:

• What caused it
• The severity of the brain damage
• How well medications and other treatments help you manage symptoms

Your provider will help you set realistic goals and expectations.

When should I see my healthcare provider?

Talk to a healthcare provider if you notice any new or changing symptoms. Let your provider know if it feels like you’re thinking or doing things you can’t control — especially if you feel unsafe. They might be able to adjust your treatments.

You might want to talk to a mental health professional. They can help you process your thoughts and feelings. They might be able to help you find safe, healthy ways to manage symptoms like pica and hypersexuality.

Which questions should I ask my provider?

Questions you may want to ask your provider include:

• What caused the Klüver-Bucy syndrome?
• Which medications are best for me? How do I take them?
• How often will I need follow-up visits or checkups?
• Are there any symptoms or changes I should watch out for?