Abstract

SWAMY, N.C. Kudlur; SANJU, George  and  MATHEW JAIMON, M.S.. An overview of the neurological correlates of Cotard syndrome. Eur. J. Psychiat. [online]. 2007, vol.21, n.2, pp.99-116. ISSN 0213-6163.

Background and objectives: Considerable etiologic ambiguity surrounds Cotard syndrome and a range of psychodynamic, existential and biological theories have been proposed to explain its etiopathogenesis. Despite the often-noted neurological abnormalities on examination and assessment in Cotard syndrome, an in-depth evaluation is lacking. In this paper, we provide an overview of the neurological (neurostructural, neurophysiological and neuropsychological) correlates of Cotard syndrome and discuss the implications of our findings from an etiological and clinical perspective. Methods: We searched electronic databases and key journals using the appropriate search terms. All reported cases of Cotard syndrome with neurological investigations published in English were included in the review. The two authors independently reviewed the full text of over 100 papers and selected the papers for inclusion in the final review. Results: Various organic conditions such as typhoid fever, temporal lobe epilepsy, brain tumours and brain injuries have been reported in association with Cotard syndrome. The most commonly reported neurological abnormalities in these patients include structural brain changes (bilateral cerebral atrophy, dilated lateral ventricles), functional brain changes (hypoperfusion in the frontal and parietal cortices) and neuropsychological abnormalities (impaired face recognition). Conclusions: In summary, although not all, some cases of Cotard syndrome are associated with structural and functional brain dysfunction. From a clinical perspective, it is crucial to maintain a low threshold for suspicion of organicity in cases of this uncommon psychiatric syndrome, and thereafter to consider appropriate neurological investigations.

Keywords : Cotard syndrome; Neuroimaging neurophysiology; Neuropsychology.

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