Cotard’s Syndrome or the Walking Corpse Syndrome is a rare neuropsychiatric disorder in which the patients experience, illusions that they are dead or have lost their vital organs or don’t exist. In some cases the patient has reported to experience the smell of rotting flesh.
In simple words, the condition can be explained as “denial of existence”. It is at times accompanies with symptoms of anxiety, guilt and extreme negativity. Ironically, some patients also experience delusions of immortality.
Cortard’s Syndrome Info
The Walking Corpse Syndrome or the Cortard’s Syndrome was first explained by Jules Cortard all the way back in 1880 as negative deliriums.
Research shows that this disease is more prevalent in patients who are in their old age and are experiencing depression. It is also likely to happen in patients with disorders like bipolar disorders, brain injury, depression, brain tumors, migraine, brain atrophy and stroke. Women are more affected by this disease as compared to men.
Even though the exact source of this disease is still not known, lesions in the temporal and frontal regions of the right hemisphere of the brain are said to be associated with it.
Some patients who suffer from this syndrome have died because of starvation since they deprive themselves from food thinking they are dead. A patient who suffer from this disease also have tendencies to harm themselves or commit suicide.
The condition is not common, so it is diagnosed on the basis of the symptoms seen in the patient. Tests are run to diagnose the associated diseases and other conditions to rule them out. The current treatment for this condition involves mood stabilizers, antipsychotics and antidepressants. Electro conclusive therapy in association with medications has been stated to be more effective than the medications alone.
Causes Of Walking Corpse Syndrome
The walking corpse syndrome occurs because of lesions in the temporal and frontal regions of the right hemisphere of the brain.
The exact reason for the Walking Corpse Syndrome is not really known. Nonetheless, studies imply that the source is localized in the temporal and frontal regions of the right hemisphere of the brain.
Risk factors that are linked with Cotard’s Syndrome are as follows:
- The condition is more likely to occur in older individuals who are suffering from depressive disorders.
- It is linked with other psychological disorders like dementia, bipolar disorders and schizophrenia.
Causes And Risk Factors Of Walking Corpse Syndrome
It has been related to other mental conditions like atrophy, seizures, brain tumors, brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, stroke and migraine. It can also be sourced as a reaction to acyclovir an adverse drug which is taken by patients suffering kidney failure. These patients are not able to excrete a metabolite of acyclovir, called CMMG, which build up in the blood and sources these symptoms.
Symptoms And Signs Of Cortard’s Syndrome
People with this disease believe that they are dying or are dead.
Initially the patients have a vague feeling of anxiety who suffer from this condition. This is then followed by a belief that they don’t exist, they are putrefying or are dead or have lost their vital organs. Some patients actually feel that they are no longer mortal.
Clinical features of this syndrome are having a severe feeling of guilt, negativity, depression and insensitivity towards pain. The patients may also believe that they are paralyzed or can have auditory or smell based illusions.
People who experience this syndrome can’t recognize themselves and don’t even show any interest in social pleasure or life. They neglect their own hygiene and have a paranoid behavior. They also have suicidal tendencies. They lose the sense of reality and have a very negative view about the world.
The Cotard’s Syndrome has been divided into three stages based on the symptoms and signs:
- Germination Stage – this is the initial stage where the patient shows signs of extreme worry of un-wellness, depressive mood and excessive fear of any illness despite of the medical treatment.
- Blooming Stage – This is the secondary stage where the patient experience the true feature of the syndrome where they have delusions of being immortal or dead, this stage is associated with a lot of anxiety and negativism.
- Chronic Stage – In this stage the individual shows signs of severe depression due to the extreme paranoia or emotional disturbances.
Diagnosis Of Cortard Syndrome
Cortard Syndrome or Walking Corpse Syndrome is diagnosed on the basis of a patient’s symptoms and history. There are a few tests that are conducted to check associated disease. These tests include the following:
- Blood test
- CT Scan
- MRI – Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- SPECT – Single-photon emission computed tomography
- EEG
Treatment Of Walking Corpse Syndrome
Treatment for the Cortard syndrome includes the following
- Identification and the treatment of the risk factors: The risk factors associated with Walking Corpse Syndrome should be treated and identified.
- Antipsychotics, mood stabilizers and antidepressants: These drugs can be used in Cortard Syndrome as treatment. Based on the basic condition the patient should be treated with a single drug or a combination of drugs.
- Elctroconclusive Therapy: Many cases also proved that a combination of electroconclusive therapy (ECT) with medications was a better alternative and a more effective treatment for this condition.
The on the whole forecast of disease is indomitable by the severity of the condition and the treatment tactics used to deal with it. Some patients get better with a suitable treatment. Some pass away of malnourishment. Patients suffering from this condition also have suicidal tendencies and should be watched over.
Interesting Cases Of Walking Corpse Syndrome
Here are some of the interesting cases of Cortard Syndrome that have been reported and stated below:
A 53- year old Filipino woman was admitted to a hospital where she kept on complaining that she was dead and smelled like rotting fish and she wanted to be taken to the morgue where the dead people are kept. Upon questioning, she said that the “paramedics” were trying to burn down her house. She also complained that she was low on energy, didn’t want to eat, excessive sleepiness and excessive feeling of hopelessness was there. She was recovered as she responded to the treatment.
A patient who travelled to South Africa from Edinburgh after a certain period of hospitalization was convinced that he was taken to hell after his death. He believed that he died cause of AIDS, septicemia or over dosage of yellow fever injection. He also reported that he felt that it was not his mother who was with him but her spirit.
