‘I am dead’: Cotard syndrome and dementia

My Body Is Rotting: A case report of Cotard’s syndrome in a postpartum woman

“…Precise evaluation of psychopathological dimensions (affective, psychotic, anxiety, organic dimensions) allows to choose the right therapy and to predict its further course [1]. When Cotard's syndrome is associated with psychotic or organic disorders with acute onset, complete remission can be observed, but in combination with depressive disorders it often has a chronic and recurrent course [2]. Nihilistic delusions often respond to the same treatment as positive symptoms in schizophrenia [11].…”

“…Cotard's syndrome, also known as Cotard's delusion, named after the author of the first detailed case study -French neurologist Jules Cotard, is characterised by nihilistic delusions about the sense of loss of properly functioning organs, sometimes denying the existence of the person as such and insisting that one is dead. It can be accompanied by strong anxiety, melancholy, reduced pain threshold, as well as suicidal behaviours and self-harm [1,2]. Currently, the distinction of the Cotard's syndrome as a nosological entity is being questioned, and it is recognised as a group of symptoms occurring with other disorders, hence it has not been included in neither the ICD-10 [3], ICD-11 [4] nor DSM-5 classification [5].…”

“…Currently, the distinction of the Cotard's syndrome as a nosological entity is being questioned, and it is recognised as a group of symptoms occurring with other disorders, hence it has not been included in neither the ICD-10 [3], ICD-11 [4] nor DSM-5 classification [5]. Cotard's syndrome has been described in the course of depressive episodes, but has also been observed in patients suffering from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, brain stroke, multiple sclerosis, frontal lobe disorder, cerebral atrophy, AIDS, dementia, Parkinson's disease [2,6], additionally, in Capgras or Fregoli syndrome [7].…”

“…She showed significant ability for pain elimination. The author named the described symptom complex 'le délire des négations', qualifying it as a new form of depression with melancholia and coexisting anxiety [1,2,6]. It is estimated that Cotard's syndrome is very rare, although no epidemiological studies that provide accurate data on the prevalence of this disorder have been conducted yet.…”

Shedding Light on Manic Syndromes and Dementia

“…Dementia includes impairments in cognitive skills associated with gradual loss of functional status and ability to perform everyday activities. Decline in memory is considered a hallmark symptom of dementia, but non-cognitive symptoms such as changes in personality [1], delusions [2,3] (sometimes in bizarre forms [4,5]), misidentification syndromes [6], mood changes [7], sexual disinhibition [8], wandering [9], aggressive behavior [10], and other neuropsychiatric symptoms [11,12] are also prevalent, especially during later stages. Alois Alzheimer, describing the disease that bears his name, reports symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, and verbal outbursts [13].…”