This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Cotard's syndrome

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Cotard's syndrome is a form of severe depressive disorder that was described by the French psychiatrist, Cotard, in 1882.

It is characterised by intense nihilistic delusions, for example:

  • belief that a familiar person or thing does not exist
  • belief that one's body has disintegrated or died
  • belief that the world is coming to an end

Cotard's syndrome is usually seen in as part of schizophrenia or in severe bipolar disorder. Other possible causes include alcoholism, syphilis, Alzheimer's disease, a parietal lobe lesion.

The patient may respond to antipsychotic or antidepressant medication.


Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.