American, 48, thinks his brain has died

The 48-year-old American thought his brain had died, Fox News reported. 

According to the source, 48-year-old Graham told his doctor that his brain is dead. He understood that he was able to think, remember and interact with people, but believed that his brain was dead. Graham's condition came after a severe depression led to an attempted suicide.

It turned out that Graham has a rare mental illness - Cotard’s syndrome when a person denies the existence of his own body or body parts.

Doctors examined what was happening inside the brain of a patient with Cotard's syndrome: a PET scan showed an abnormally low metabolic activity compared to the brain of a normal person.

One of Graham's doctors said he had never seen a person walk and talk with such a low level of brain activity. The doctor said that it was more like someone was sleeping or under general anesthesia.

According to a CORTEX study, Graham’s metabolic activity was estimated to be 20 percent lower than in other healthy people. Tests also revealed depression and anxiety.

The authors of the CORTEX study concluded that such a serious disruption is linked to a serious disruption of the brain, affecting his “core consciousness” and events around him.

According to New Scientist, however, Graham has been able to return to a fairly normal life after much psychiatric treatment and medication.