Scientists have solved the riddle of the syndrome of “alien body”

“My hand does not belong to me!” – This is not a quote from the thriller, but a description of one of the symptoms of the mysterious Cotard syndrome. People suffering from it are often convinced that they lack some parts of the body, or that they are generally … dead! Recently, Swedish researchers found that the culprit of a nightmare could be a seemingly innocuous remedy for herpes …

Kotar syndrome – the so-called official name for this ailment – according to doctors, is one of the varieties of depression. It is found quite rarely – at the same time all over the world it affects no more than several hundred people. The first such case was recorded in 1880 by the French neurologist Jules Cotard, in whose honor the disease subsequently got its name. Continue reading →