Walking Corpse Syndrome: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Walking Corpse Syndrome, also known as Cotard delusion is a mental disorder where the person with the syndrome has a delusional belief of dying, being dead, or undergoing putrefaction. It was first identified and described in 1882. The affected person believes that they have lost blood, bones, or other internal organs. Usually, the syndrome occurs with severe depression along with other psychotic disorders. It is also sometimes called nihilistic delusion. Some of the other symptoms of the disorder include hallucinations, anxiety, guilt, etc. It is an uncommon neuropsychiatry disorder. In this article, we will learn more about the walking corpse syndrome, its symptoms, and its causes.

Key Terms: Walking Corpse Syndrome, Cotard Delusion, Brain, Neuropsychiatry, Depression, Nihilistic Delusion 

What is the Walking Corpse Syndrome?

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Walking Corpse Syndrome is a disorder where the patients experience a false belief of dying or being dead. In some extreme cases, the person might also smell the rotten flesh. Generally, the condition can be understood as “existence denial”. Usually, it is a symptom of another neuropsychiatry condition rather than being a disease on its own. It was first described in 1882 by Dr Jules Cotard. It is a rare disorder that has around 200 known cases all over the world. People with this syndrome become less social. Some of them might even stop eating or speaking at all. 

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Symptoms of Walking Corpse Syndrome

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One of the most prominent symptoms of Walking Corpse syndrome is nihilism or the delusion of negation. Affected people deny the existence of an organ, a body part such as a leg or an arm, or their own selves. The patients also believe sometimes that nothing has any meaning or any value. In some cases, the patients may also feel that they never existed. Some people feel like this about their specific organs, limbs, or their entire body, while others might feel like this about their souls. Paradoxically, many patients also experience a delusion of immortality. Other symptoms of the disorder include:

• Anxiety
• Hypochondria
• Guilt
• Hallucinations
• Preoccupation with death or with hurting your own self

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Stages of Cotard Delusion

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The disease mainly goes through 3 stages such as:

• Germination stage: The germination stage starts with the onset of hypochondria and depression. In hypochondria condition, the patient worries about some illness
• Blooming stage: The blooming stage starts with the development of negation delusion. 
• Chronic stage: The chronic stage is the last stage of the disorder that starts with the worsening of the symptoms which is accompanied by psychiatric depression. 

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Causes of Walking Corpse Syndrome

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The exact cause of walking corpse syndrome or cotard delusion is unknown. Many theories have emerged regarding its onset such as cellular anomalies in the structure of mitochondria to misfiring neurons in the fusiform area of our brain. However, scientists majorly speculate that the latter option is the most plausible cause of this disorder as the fusiform face area of our brain is related to recognising the faces. 

The disorder is also related to various other neurological conditions that include;

• Dementia
• Brain tumors
• Brain infections
• Migraines
• Encephalopathy (A disorder in which a toxin or a virus affects the overall working of the brain)
• Epilepsy
• Multiple sclerosis
• Parkinson's disease
• Traumatic Brain Injuries
• Stroke

Physical trauma to some areas of the brain can also trigger this disorder. For example, the lesions that are formed on the inside of the parietal lobe as a result of brain diseases or brain trauma have been reported to lead to Cotard delusion. 

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Other mental health disorders or conditions that can increase a person's risk of developing Walking Corpse Syndrome or Cotard Delusion are:

• Catatonia
• Schizophrenia
• Bipolar Disorder
• Depersonalisation disorder
• Postpartum depression
• Dissociative disorder
• Psychotic depression

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Treatment of Walking Corpse Syndrome

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Though the symptoms of the disorder might seem threatening, there are some treatments available to counteract most of them. Shock therapy, also known as Electroconvulsive therapy, is found to be successful in treating the walking corpse syndrome. Electroconvulsive therapy or ECT involves the passing of a small electric current through the brain of a person in order to create a small seizure generally while the person is under general anaesthesia. This changes the chemistry of the brain and can clear some symptoms of mental health.

However, there are certain risks associated with ECT such as confusion, memory loss, muscle aches, and nausea. This is why the treatment option is only considered after exhausting and trying other options such as:

• Psychotherapy
• Mood stabilizers
• Anti-anxiety drugs
• Antidepressants
• Antipsychotics
• Behavioural therapy

In most cases, the doctors work on treating the medical problem that is causing the syndrome. For most of the patients, the best treatment option is a combination of talk therapy such as psychotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and medications. 

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Things to Remember

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• Walking Corpse Syndrome which is also known as Cotard delusion is a mental condition where the person having the syndrome has a delusional belief of being dead, dying, or undergoing putrefaction.
• The person undergoes existence denial.
• Nihilism or the delusion of negation is the most prominent symptom of the Cotard syndrome.
• The disorder is also related to various other neurological conditions that include Dementia, Brain tumours, Brain infections, Migraines, etc.
• The treatment of Walking Corpse Syndrome includes treating the risk factors associated with the disorder.
• Electroconvulsive therapy or ECT involves the passing of a small electric current through a person’s brain to create a small seizure.
• It is generally identified as the best treatment option for Walking Corpse Syndrome.

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