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Cotard delusion after brain injury

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

A. W. Young ,
I. H. Robertson ,
D. J. Hellawell ,
K. W. De Pauw  and
B. Pentland
A. W. Young*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Durham; MRC Applied Psychology Unit, Cambridge; Department of Psychiatry, Doncaster Royal Infirmary; and Astley Anslie Hospital, Edinburgh
I. H. Robertson
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Durham; MRC Applied Psychology Unit, Cambridge; Department of Psychiatry, Doncaster Royal Infirmary; and Astley Anslie Hospital, Edinburgh
D. J. Hellawell
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Durham; MRC Applied Psychology Unit, Cambridge; Department of Psychiatry, Doncaster Royal Infirmary; and Astley Anslie Hospital, Edinburgh
K. W. De Pauw
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Durham; MRC Applied Psychology Unit, Cambridge; Department of Psychiatry, Doncaster Royal Infirmary; and Astley Anslie Hospital, Edinburgh
B. Pentland
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Durham; MRC Applied Psychology Unit, Cambridge; Department of Psychiatry, Doncaster Royal Infirmary; and Astley Anslie Hospital, Edinburgh
*
1 Address for correspondence: Professor Andrew W. Young, Department of Psychology, University of Durham, Science Laboratories, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE.
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Synopsis

A right-handed young man with contusions affecting temporo-parietal areas of the right cerebral hemisphere and some bilateral frontal lobe damage became convinced that he was dead (the Cotard delusion), and experienced difficulties in recognizing familiar faces, buildings and places, as well as feelings of derealization. Neuropsychological investigation while these symptoms were resolving revealed impairment on face processing tests. We suggest that these impairments contributed to his Cotard delusion by heightening feelings of unreality, and that the underlying pathophysiology and neuropsychology of the Cotard delusion may be related to other problems involving delusional misidentification.

Type
Case Report
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 22 , Issue 3 , August 1992 , pp. 799 - 804
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

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