Hey guys do you ever have those days where you feel like a zombie? Feel dead tired and out of it? Cotard’s may be the diagnosis for you! Named after Jules Cotard, a French neurologist who first described the condition, Cotard’s Syndrome (or Cotard’s Delusion or Walking Corpse Syndrome) is a rare mental disorder where sufferers imagine that they are decomposing, dead or non-existent.
Like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, Cotard’s is another form of delusional psychosis, the only self-certifiable form of its kind. Those with this condition often describe a loss of blood, organs and/or body parts.
After many years of research and evaluation some very unique and different cases we have finally found out the cause for the delusional thoughts, the diluted reality is caused by a brain dysfunction in the fusiform gyrus and the amygdala. Despite knowing the cause we are still to find out a cure, so far people suffering with Cotard delusion get prescribed anti-depressants, anti-psychotics and sometimes even electroconvulsive therapy.
The first case recorded for the syndrome was in 1978 by a man named Charles Bonnet. An elderly lady insisted her daughters and her family lay her to rest in a coffin as she was convinced she was no longer living, she made sure they treated her like she was dead and eventually they gave in and allowed her wishes. Despite being in her coffin she still would move and rearrange herself, eventually when she fell asleep they carried her to her bed, when she awoke the delusions were gone but came back every couple of months.
About 100 years after this a French neurologist `Jules Cotard` saw a patient with an unusual complaint. Mademoiselle X, as Cotard called her in his notes, claimed to have “no brain, no nerves, no chest, no stomach and no intestines.” Despite this, she also believed that she “was eternal and would live for ever.” Due to her beliefs she saw no need to eat or drink so she eventually died of starvation, this unique case created the rare mental disorder, hence the name Cotard delusion.
In one reported case, a 20-year-old male diagnosed with bipolar disorder described his feelings of distorted reality while on a treatment of lithium carbonate 800 mg/day (“My liver and stomach are being destroyed," and, "My heart doesn't beat," and, "I don't have muscles.
Causes
So how does one lose touch with their body to that extreme? This distorted reality is caused by a malfunction in an area of the brain called the fusiform gyrus, which recognizes faces, and also in the amygdala, an almond-shaped set of neurons that processes your emotions. The combination is a lack of recognition when viewing familiar faces (even the face of the sufferer), leaving the person feeling disconnected with reality. [source: Scientific American]
Treatment
A cure to Cotard’s Syndrome is currently unknown as scientists are still in uncharted territory when it comes to finding a treatment for the cause. Instead, focus lies primarily in treating the symptoms rather than the cause. Common treatments include antidepressants and antipsychotics, as well as the controversial electroconvulsive therapy.
Electroconvulsive therapy is when an electric current gets shot through your brain damaging many neurons that cause depression and other mental problems.
80-90% of people who go through ECT find that it helps, however relapse in about 6months time resulting to follow-up ECT treatment or medication.
So next time onwards be careful if people around you feel alive or just seeming alive. See you guys next time with another unusual and stunning disorder which will tell you that what are the disorders our brain have to go through.
Like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, Cotard’s is another form of delusional psychosis, the only self-certifiable form of its kind. Those with this condition often describe a loss of blood, organs and/or body parts.
After many years of research and evaluation some very unique and different cases we have finally found out the cause for the delusional thoughts, the diluted reality is caused by a brain dysfunction in the fusiform gyrus and the amygdala. Despite knowing the cause we are still to find out a cure, so far people suffering with Cotard delusion get prescribed anti-depressants, anti-psychotics and sometimes even electroconvulsive therapy.
The first case recorded for the syndrome was in 1978 by a man named Charles Bonnet. An elderly lady insisted her daughters and her family lay her to rest in a coffin as she was convinced she was no longer living, she made sure they treated her like she was dead and eventually they gave in and allowed her wishes. Despite being in her coffin she still would move and rearrange herself, eventually when she fell asleep they carried her to her bed, when she awoke the delusions were gone but came back every couple of months.
About 100 years after this a French neurologist `Jules Cotard` saw a patient with an unusual complaint. Mademoiselle X, as Cotard called her in his notes, claimed to have “no brain, no nerves, no chest, no stomach and no intestines.” Despite this, she also believed that she “was eternal and would live for ever.” Due to her beliefs she saw no need to eat or drink so she eventually died of starvation, this unique case created the rare mental disorder, hence the name Cotard delusion.
In one reported case, a 20-year-old male diagnosed with bipolar disorder described his feelings of distorted reality while on a treatment of lithium carbonate 800 mg/day (“My liver and stomach are being destroyed," and, "My heart doesn't beat," and, "I don't have muscles.
Causes
So how does one lose touch with their body to that extreme? This distorted reality is caused by a malfunction in an area of the brain called the fusiform gyrus, which recognizes faces, and also in the amygdala, an almond-shaped set of neurons that processes your emotions. The combination is a lack of recognition when viewing familiar faces (even the face of the sufferer), leaving the person feeling disconnected with reality. [source: Scientific American]
Treatment
Electroconvulsive therapy is when an electric current gets shot through your brain damaging many neurons that cause depression and other mental problems.
80-90% of people who go through ECT find that it helps, however relapse in about 6months time resulting to follow-up ECT treatment or medication.
So next time onwards be careful if people around you feel alive or just seeming alive. See you guys next time with another unusual and stunning disorder which will tell you that what are the disorders our brain have to go through.
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