Depersonalization after acquired brain damage

Depersonalization after brain damage is still only rarely reported and poor ly understood. We describe three patients between the ages of 21 and 25 who experienced depersonalization and derealization for periods of 6 weeks to 4 months, two after traumatic brain injury,the third after surgical and rad iation treatment of a pineocytoma. Each one believed to be living in a nigh tmare and thought about committing suicide in order to wake up. One patient developed symptoms as described in Cotard delusion. Aspects of neuroanatom y, psychodynamics, and anthropology are discussed with reference to the lit erature. Frontal and temporal lesions seem only to play a facilitating role but not to be a necessary condition. There is evidence for additional infl uence of psychological and premorbid personality factors. Summarizing the c urrent state of information we consider depersonalization with the experien ce of being in a dream or being dead as a heuristic reaction to brain damag e. Similar models have already been discussed in neuropsychological disorde rs as for instance reduplicative paramnesias, neglect, and anosognosia.