A case is described pointing to the biological factors in gender identity and personality structure.
Methods:
The history is presented of a transsexual patient who experienced a change of gender identity and personality following an episode of status epilepticus.
Results:
The patient presented as convincingly feminine and with features of Borderline Personality Disorder. She had an old brain injury. After a prolonged epileptic episode the Borderline features disappeared and the patient expressed a clearly male identity.
Conclusions:
The findings are equivocal: they may be seen both as reflecting a change in a neurologically structured identity and as a resetting of psychosocially acquired characteristics.
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