While the name may sound like something heard in a zombie apocalypse movie, "walking corpse syndrome" — also called Cotard’s syndrome — causes people to believe parts of their body are missing, that they are dead or dying, or that they don’t exist at all. The disease is extremely rare, with only 200 cases documented worldwide. In people who don’t believe they exist, the disease often results in a refusal to eat, self-harm or social isolation. There’s no known cause of Cotard’s syndrome, though experts say it could be a symptom of a deeper neurological problem such as dementia, a toxic brain infection, migraines, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy or stroke. There is, however, no direct cure for the condition, which has been theorized to be a purely delusional mental health illness brought on by a traumatic event or psychotic break. A combination of talk therapy and medication is usually effective in helping to manage symptoms.
