Abstract

Adipsia combined with diabetes insipidus after hypothalamic damage may produce major difficulties in clinical management. If there is an associated memory impairment it may be impossible to teach self-regulation of fluid balance, necessitating long-term hospital supervision. The successful use of a behaviour modification technique to achieve independent drinking and allow discharge from hospital into the community is described in a patient with adipsia, diabetes insipidus and memory impairment resulting from the removal of a craniopharyngioma.