Cotard parasomnia: le délire de negation that occur during the sleep-wake dissociation?
Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine June 15, 2020 Valentina Gnoni, Sean Higgins, Alexander David Nesbitt et al. 12 citations
Three patients with non-REM parasomnias experienced episodes of Cotard delusion—believing they were dead or dying and unable to perceive their bodies as their own. These nihilistic mentations occurred during confusional arousals from sleep and were accompanied by panic. EEG source analysis indicated right-hemispheric hypoactivity during the episodes. The authors argue that aberrant activation of the salience network and default mode network—two major intrinsic networks of wakefulness—underlies these states. Such dreamlike mentations are rarely remembered and likely underreported, but can cause significant distress and worsen clinical outcomes if unaddressed.