Back from the dead: Reversing walking corpse syndrome
16 October 2013 by Helen Thomson
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22029392.600-back-from-the-dead-reversing-walking-corpse-syndrome.htmlONE moment you are alive. The next you are dead. A few hours later and you are alive again. Pharmacologists have discovered a mechanism that triggers Cotard's syndrome – the mysterious condition that leaves people feeling like they, or parts of their body, no longer exist. With the ability to switch the so-called walking corpse syndrome on and off comes the prospect of new insights into how conscious experiences are constructed.
Acyclovir – also known by the brand name Zovirax – is a common drug used to treat cold sores and other herpes infections. It usually has no harmful side effects. However, about 1 per cent of people who take the drug orally or intravenously experience some psychiatric side effects, including Cotard's. These occur mainly in people who have renal failure...
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