Brazilian business man says cannot stop giving away money after stroke

A Brazilian man has turned into a philanthropist while recovering from a stroke that has caused damage to parts of his brain, leading to a remarkable change in his personality, a situation that raised question marks among doctors who claimed that they have never experienced such effects among patients.

The 49-year-old, who is a senior manager of a large corporation, was unable to stop giving away money and buying sweets and food for children he met on the street. The man’s wife expressed concern regarding her husband’s behavior, which she said had led to significant family distress and almost bankruptcy.

According to the doctors, the man suffered a stroke triggered by high blood pressure, leading to a bleeding in his subcortical region, an area immediately below the cerebral cortex, associated with higher-level thinking and decision-making.

After examining the case claimed to be unusual, psychiatrists at the University of Rio de Janeiro concluded that the stroke had disrupted the man’s emotional behavior and judgment, adding that typical symptoms following damage to this region include depression, which was also displayed in the said case.