Neuropsychiatric symptoms from the temporolimbic lobes

Neuropsychiatric symptoms are common manifestations of temporolimbic lesions. These neuropsychiatric symptoms result from disturbances of specific temporolimbic networks, including medial limbic circuits, lateral limbic circuits, and the "extended" amygdala. Moreover, temporolimbic networks interface with multiple cortical and subcortical circuits that modulate emotional behavior and affect. This article not only reviews these behaviorally relevant aspects of temporolimbic neuroanatomy, but also describes positive, productive symptoms from the temporal lobes. The Kluver-Bucy syndrome, the Gastaut-Geschwind syndrome, emotional or mood disorders, delusions, anxiety and associative disorders, and neurovegetative symptoms are discussed, as well as amnesia, the signature temporolimbic disturbance of cognition. The temporolimbic lobe is a classic example of a widely distributed circuit within the brain that has behaviorally relevant manifestations.