Gourmand syndrome is a very rare and benign eating disorder that usually occurs six to twelve months after an injury to the
frontal lobe
The frontal lobe is the largest of the four major lobes of the brain in mammals, and is located at the front of each cerebral hemisphere (in front of the parietal lobe and the temporal lobe). It is parted from the parietal lobe by a groove be ...
.
Those with the disorder usually have a right hemisphere frontal or temporal brain lesion typically affecting the
cortical areas,
basal ganglia
The basal ganglia (BG), or basal nuclei, are a group of subcortical nuclei, of varied origin, in the brains of vertebrates. In humans, and some primates, there are some differences, mainly in the division of the globus pallidus into an exter ...
or
limbic
The limbic system, also known as the paleomammalian cortex, is a set of brain structures located on both sides of the thalamus, immediately beneath the medial temporal lobe of the cerebrum primarily in the forebrain.Schacter, Daniel L. 2012. ''Ps ...
structures.
These people develop a new, post-injury passion for
gourmet
Gourmet (, ) is a cultural idea associated with the culinary arts of fine food and drink, or haute cuisine, which is characterized by refined, even elaborate preparations and presentations of aesthetically balanced meals of several contrasting, of ...
food.
There are two main aspects of gourmand syndrome: first, the fine dining habits and changes to taste, and second, the obsessive component, which may result in craving and preservation.
Gourmand syndrome can be related to, and shares biological features with, addictive and obsessive disorders.
The syndrome was first characterised in 1997.
Signs and symptoms
* A new-found obsession for fine foods
* Wanting to write, talk, eat, about refined foods
Causes
It is believed that the frontotemporal circuits, normally involved in healthy eating, can, when injured, cause gourmand syndrome in patients.
History
Only 36 people had been diagnosed with gourmand syndrome as of 2001.
In many of these cases, the patient did not have any interest in food beforehand nor had any family history with eating disorders.
The first, most famous case was seen in 1997 by Regard and Landis in the journal ''
Neurology
Neurology (from el, νεῦρον (neûron), "string, nerve" and the suffix -logia, "study of") is the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the brain, the spinal ...
'':
after a Swiss stroke patient was released from the hospital, he immediately quit his job as a political journalist and took up the profession of food critic.
Regard and Landis also observed an athletic businessman with this condition whose family was shocked to see such a sudden, drastic change in his diet.
Only one case of gourmand syndrome has been reported in a child. He was born with issues with his right temporal lobe; at eight years old he began to experience seizures, within the year of the seizures beginning, his behavior began to change to the symptoms of gourmand syndrome.
In 2014, a man that was once interested in marathon running now was only interested in
gastronomy
Gastronomy is the study of the relationship between food and culture, the art of preparing and serving rich or delicate and appetizing food, the cooking styles of particular regions, and the science of good eating. One who is well versed in gastr ...
, traveling hundreds or thousands of miles to eat gourmet food. He became a famous gastronomic critic and gained 50 kg (110 pounds).
References
Further reading
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Neurotrauma
Rare syndromes
Eating disorders
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