The Neuro-Protective Lifestyle

Whew! I Thought I Was Dead: Cotard’s Delusion

Posted on 17. Feb, 2008 by Kerry Friesen, M.D. in Neuro-Strange But True

Not to be confused with Matt Elliott’s netherworldly 2003 album “The Mess We Made”. Cotard’s Delusion is even darker and more netherworldly (no I don’t really know if that is even a word).

Go on a major neuro-mapping expedition and adjacent to the parahippocampus you’ll find the infamous fusiform face area (FFA). A little known area of the brain responsible for facial recognition. Mess with it and you have “prosopagnosia” face-blindness. Yep, your own face is no longer familiar. Brain trauma or a major mental illness creates a disconnect between the limbic system (emotional center) and the fusiform face area. The emotional disconnect leaves you wondering about “who you are”.

Regardless, Dr. Jules Cotard, the french neurologist to put a name to it in 1880 was the first to describe this rare neuropsychiatric disorder. Not “seeing” your own face can cause a whole host of other delusional symptoms. Like, my flesh is rotting, major organs are missing or since “I’m dead” I cannot be killed, therefore I am immortal. You gotta love the overly optimistic delusional rational. There was a lesson to learn when I started this post but I don’t know what it is anymore.

Welcome to “Neuro-Strange But True“. The first of many strange, but hopefully insightful neurological conundrums designed to increase your dendritic spine density. (Ah, maybe that was the point). If you can come up with a better name, send it to me!

Tags: Cotard's Delusion, FFA, fusiform face area