Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-1-2018
College/Unit
School of Medicine
Department/Program/Center
Pathology, Anatomy and Laboratory Medicine
Abstract
We report a case of a 57-year-old male with clinically diagnosed and autopsy-confirmed early onset Alzheimer’s disease who completed suicide by gunshot wound to the chest. This case has several unique aspects that have not been discussed in previous case reports of completed suicide in Alzheimer’s disease. In particular, our patient’s death was highly planned with successful compensation for his cognitive deficits. After all firearms had been removed from the home as a safety precaution, he obtained a new weapon, hid it and left himself cues to find and use it. The case is discussed in the context of literature differentiating the neural circuitry propagating impulsive versus planned suicidal acts.
Digital Commons Citation
Hartzell, Jennifer Wiener; Geary, Richard; Gyure, Kymberly; Chivukula, Venkata Ravi; and Haut, Marc W., "Completed suicide in an autopsy-confirmed case of early onset Alzheimer's disease" (2018). Clinical and Translational Science Institute. 958.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/ctsi/958
Source Citation
Hartzell JW, Geary R, Gyure K, Chivukula VR, Haut MW. Completed suicide in an autopsy-confirmed case of early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Neurodegenerative Disease Management. 2018;8(2):81-88. doi:10.2217/nmt-2017-0045