COTARD

DELUSION

Zahra’a Nama
10C
 WHAT IS COTARD DELUSION?

• Cotard delusion is a rare condition marked by

the false belief that you or your body parts are
dead, dying, or don’t exist.
• It usually occurs with severe depression and
some psychotic disorders. It can accompany
other mental illnesses and neurological
conditions.
• You might also hear it referred to as walking
corpse syndrome, Cotard’s syndrome, or
nihilistic delusion.
• One of the main symptoms
of Cotard delusion is
nihilism. Nihilism is the
belief that nothing has any
value or meaning. It can
also include the belief that
nothing really exists.
• Other symptoms include:
• Anxiety
• Hallucinations
• Hypochondria
• Guilt
• Preoccupation with hurting
yourself to death
 • Diagnosing Cotard delusion is often difficult
because most organizations don’t recognize
it as a disease. This means there’s no
standardized list of criteria used to make a
diagnosis.
• In most cases, it’s only diagnosed after other
HOW IS IT possible conditions have been ruled out.If
DIAGNOSED? you think you might have Cotard delusion, try
to keep a journal of your symptoms, noting
when they occur and how long they last.
• This information can help your doctor narrow
down the possible causes, including Cotard
delusion. Keep in mind that Cotard delusion
usually occurs alongside other mental
illnesses, so you might receive more than one
diagnosis.
 HOW IS IT TREATED?

• Cotard delusion usually occurs with other conditions, so treatment options

can vary widely.
• However, a 2009 review found that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) was
the most commonly used treatment. It’s also a common treatment for
severe depression.
• ECT involves passing small electric currents through your brain to create
small seizures while you’re under general anesthesia.
• ECT does carry some potential risks, including memory loss, confusion,
nausea, and muscle aches.
WHO DISCOVERED IT?

• Jules Cotard
• French
neurologists
• 1840 - 1889
 CASE 1 :

• A 53-year-old Filipino woman, was admitted to

the psychiatric unit when her family called 911
because the patient was complaining that she
was dead, smelled like rotting flesh, and wanted
to be taken to a morgue so that she could be
with dead people.
• In the hospital, the patient expressed fear that
“paramedics” were trying to burn down the
house she lived in with her cousin and her
brother. She also admitted to hopelessness, low
energy, decreased appetite, and somnolence
 CASE 2 :

• In 1996, a Scottish man who suffered head

injury in a motorcycling accident began to
believe he had died from complications during
his recovery. Not long after he completed
recovery, he and his mother moved from
Edinburgh to South Africa. The heat, he
explained to his doctors, confirmed his belief
because only hell could be so hot.