Organic causation of morbid jealousy

Abstract

This article describes the organic contribution to morbid jealousy. Although the true prevalence of morbid jealousy is unknown, organic factors contribute significantly to its development. We present an assortment of five case histories to highlight the importance of organic causation in this phenomenon. The first two cases portray organic delusional disorder arising as an aftermath of cerebral infarcts. They are both associated with left sided brain lesions. Though organic processes generally respond poorly to treatment, case 3 (patient with head injury), is unusual as it describes a young man whose symptoms resolve on recovering from the effects of a head injury. Likewise, case 4 (patient with a meningioma) who made a complete recovery following surgery, emphasizes the need for early detection of reversible causes. The difficulty in identifying the common substrate for a phenomenon with such a wide variety of causations is amply displayed by the abundance of theories forwarded. The blurred demarcation between normal jealousy and pathological jealousy leads to further uncertainty. The excess representation of morbid jealousy in organic conditions is not enlightened by these theories. Organic pathology, by affecting the higher centers of the brain, may remove the control over instinctual behaviour. Evidence for this is hard to establish but the evolutionary perspective of jealousy akin to that of the animal kingdom alludes to possible explanations.