A Case of Self-Cannibalism: An Extremely Rare Type of Self-Mutilation With Multiple Risk Factors.

ABSTRACT: Self-mutilation is a behavior often associated with various psychiatric diseases, and it has various risk factors. Self-cannibalism, an extremely rare form of self-mutilation, can also be observed in the absence of psychosis and substance abuse. This study reports a case of self-cannibalism with multiple risk factors including history of substance use, previous self-mutilation actions, suicidal attempts, antisocial personality disorder, imprisonment, and active symptoms associated with untreated schizophrenia.

The Psychopathological Profile of Cannibalism: A Review of Five Cases.

In today's society, human cannibalism is extremely rare and represents an unthinkable act of violence. Scientific literature on the topic is sparse due to significant methodological problems, such as collecting enough data and generating unbiased analyses. The purpose of this article is to illustrate some psychodynamic aspects of cannibalism. After a review of the literature, we will present and compare five cannibalistic patients hospitalized in the Henri Colin secure unit (Villejuif, France). The patients described fall into two subgroups, suffering either from severe schizophrenia or from a mixed personality disorder with sadistic and psychopathic features associated with paraphilia. For the schizophrenia group, cannibalism is a self-defense reaction to a perceived threat of destruction: survival depends on the annihilation or assimilation of the other. For the mixed personality disorder group, ego and narcissism are the central issue with a desire to overcome deep-rooted frustrations by means of an extraordinary act.

No pain, no gain: Male plasticity in burrow digging according to female rejection in a sand-dwelling wolf spider.

Behavioral plasticity allows individuals to reversibly respond to short-term variations in their ecological and social environment in order to maximize their fitness. Allocosa senex is a burrow-digging spider that inhabits the sandy coasts of South America. This species shows a reversal in typical sex roles expected in spiders: females are wanderers that visit males at their burrows and initiate courtship. They prefer males with long burrows for mating, and males prefer virgin over mated females. We tested whether female sexual rejection induced males to enlarge their burrows and if female reproductive status affected males' responses. We exposed males who had constructed burrows to: a) virgin females or b) mated females, (n=16 for each category). If female rejection occurred, we repeated the trial 48h later with the same female. As control, we maintained a group of males without female exposure (unexposed group, n=32). Rejected males enlarged their burrows more frequently and burrows were longer compared to unexposed males. However, frequency and length of enlargement did not differ according to female reproductive status. Males of A. senex showed plasticity in digging behavior in response to the availability of females, as a way to maximize the possibilities of future mating.

Assessing the calorific significance of episodes of human cannibalism in the Palaeolithic.

Episodes of Palaeolithic cannibalism have frequently been defined as 'nutritional' in nature, but with little empirical evidence to assess their dietary significance. This paper presents a nutritional template that offers a proxy calorie value for the human body. When applied to the Palaeolithic record, the template provides a framework for assessing the dietary value of prehistoric cannibalistic episodes compared to the faunal record. Results show that humans have a comparable nutritional value to those faunal species that match our typical body weight, but significantly lower than a range of fauna often found in association with anthropogenically modified hominin remains. This could suggest that the motivations behind hominin anthropophagy may not have been purely nutritionally motivated. It is proposed here that the comparatively low nutritional value of hominin cannibalism episodes support more socially or culturally driven narratives in the interpretation of Palaeolithic cannibalism.

Inactivation of the melanin concentrating hormone system impairs maternal behavior.

In order to prepare the mother for the demands of pregnancy and lactation, the maternal brain is subjected to a number of adaptations. Maternal behaviors are regulated by complex neuronal interactions. Here, we show that the melanin concentrating hormone (MCH) system is an important regulator of maternal behaviors. First, we report that melanin concentrating hormone receptor 1 knockout (MCHR1 KO) mice display a disruption of maternal behavior. Early postpartum MCHR1 KO females exhibit poor nesting, deficits in pup retrieval and maternal aggression. In addition, ablation of MCH receptors results in decreased milk production and prolactin mRNA levels. Then we show that these results are in line with those obtained in wild type mice (WT) treated with the specific MCHR1 antagonist GW803430. Furthermore, following pups retrieval, MCHR1 KO mice display a lower level of Fos expression than WT mice in the ventral tegmental area, and nucleus accumbens. With the progression of the lactation period, however, the MCHR1 KO mice improve maternal care towards their pups. This is manifested by an increase in the pups׳ survival rate and the decrease in pups׳ retrieval time beyond the second day after parturition. In conclusion, we show that the MCH system plays a significant role in the initiation of maternal behavior. In this context, MCH may play a role in integrating information from multiple sources, and connecting brain reward, homeostatic and regulatory systems.

Maternal high-fat diet acts as a stressor increasing maternal glucocorticoids' signaling to the fetus and disrupting maternal behavior and brain activation in C57BL/6J mice.

Maternal diet during pregnancy can impact maternal behavior as well as the intrauterine environment, playing a critical role in programming offspring's physiology. In a preliminary study, we found a strong association between high-fat diet (HFD) during pregnancy and increased cannibalistic episodes and dams' mortality during late pregnancy and parturition. Based upon these data, we hypothesized that HFD during pregnancy could negatively affect neuroendocrine and metabolic regulations occurring during the final stages of pregnancy, thereby disrupting maternal behavior. To test this hypothesis, female C57BL/6J mice were fed HFD or control diet for 11 weeks until three days before the expected delivery date. Basal corticosterone plasma levels and brain levels of c-Fos were measured both before and after delivery, in addition to leptin levels in the adipose tissue. Dam's emotional behavior and social anxiety, in addition to locomotor activity were assessed before parturition. Data show that HFD led to aberrant maternal behavior, dams being characterized by behaviors related to aggression toward an unfamiliar social stimulus in the social avoidance test, in addition to decreased locomotor activity. Neural activity in HFD dams was reduced in the olfactory bulbs, a crucial brain region for social and olfactory recognition hence essential for maternal behavior. Furthermore, HFD feeding resulted in increased circulating levels of maternal corticosterone and decreased levels of leptin. In addition, the activity of the protective 11ß-dehydrogenase-2 (11ß-HSD-2) barrier in the placenta was decreased together with 11ß-dehydrogenase-1 (11ß-HSD-1) gene expression. Overall, these data suggest that HFD acts as a stressful challenge during pregnancy, impairing the neuroendocrine system and the neural activity of brain regions involved in the processing of relevant olfactory stimuli, with negative consequences on maternal physiology and behavior.

Self-cannibalism (autosarcophagy) in psychosis: a case report.

Only nine previous cases of self- or auto-cannibalism (autosarcophagy) have previously been reported in the literature. Here, we report a 29-year-old man with psychosis and a history of polysubstance use who presented after his second attempt to self-cannibalize. This case raises questions about the underlying causes and dynamics of self-cannibalism in psychiatric illness and its relation to other types of self-harm behavior.

The Dangers of Posthumous Diagnoses and the Unintended Consequences of Facile Associations: Jeffrey Dahmer and Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Posthumous diagnoses are not uncommonly given to notorious public and historical figures by applying retrospectively, and typically in the absence of the individual being diagnosed, contemporary diagnostic criteria. Although this may be relatively easy and free of consequences when it concerns clear-cut medical conditions, it may have unintended repercussions in the case of psychiatric disorders by creating myths and perpetuating stigma. The case of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is a typical example where a somewhat facile and almost syllogistic application of perhaps over-inclusive criteria may have contributed to the legend of solitary murderers as possibly suffering from an autism spectrum condition. Although there may be an understandable human need to explain abominable and heinous behaviors, the lack of the possibility to verify a diagnostic theory and the ill-advised attempt to make a diagnosis fit may de facto be the basis of prejudice and profiling that do not correspond to clinical reality. Although there is no doubt that the brain is the organ of behavior, the authors caution against a budding neo-Lombrosian approach to crime and criminality and against the all too common use of widely differing terms in the study of deviance, such as crime, delinquency, and aggression, the operational use of which, often used interchangeably even in association studies, often erroneously leads to further confusion.

Self-cannibalism: the man who eats himself.

Self-mutilation is a general term for a variety of forms of intentional self-harm without the wish to die. Although there have been many reports of self-mutilation injuries in the literature, none have reported self-cannibalism after self-mutilation. In this article we present a patient with self-cannibalism following self-mutilation. A 34-year-old male patient was brought to the emergency department from the prison with a laceration on the right leg. Physical examination revealed a well-demarcated rectangular soft tissue defect on his right thigh. The prison authorities stated that the prisoner had cut his thigh with a knife and had eaten the flesh.

Sibling cannibalism in a web-building spider: effects of density and shared environment.

Sibling cannibalism occurs across diverse taxa and can affect population size and structure, as well as the fitness of parents and the cannibal, via density effects and variation in individual propensity to cannibalize. We examined these effects on sibling cannibalism in juveniles of a web-building spider (Latrodectus hasselti, Australian redbacks). Adult redbacks are solitary, but juveniles live in clusters of variable density for a week after hatching. We confined newly hatched siblings from a singly-mated female to a low or high density treatment in a split-clutch design, then left spiderlings unfed for a week. Our results showed no effect of density on overall cannibalism levels, but a strong correlation between cannibalism counts from the same maternal lines across densities. Unlike web-bound sit-and-wait predators, wandering spiders that are active hunters have been shown to experience density-dependent cannibalism. In contrast, we suggest sibling cannibalism in web-building spiders may be density independent because early cohabitation on the web selects for elevated tolerance of conspecifics. We conclude that, rather than being linked to density, cannibalism of siblings in these species may be controlled more strongly by variation in individual propensity to cannibalize.

Entre o masoquismo e a melancolia: sob o domínio do superego sádico incorporado / Entre el masoquismo y la melancolía: bajo el dominio del superyó sádico incorporado / Between masochism and melancholy: under the rule of the incorporated sadistic superego

O artigo discute de um ponto de vista teórico e clínico as falhas na constituição das funções intersubjetivas e a presença do superego primitivo sádico, tendo como pano de fundo a dimensão traumática da experiência com o objeto primário e o sofrimento narcísico-identitário (Roussillon, 2011). Enfoca a angústia de perda e destruição do objeto por meio de fantasias canibalistas (Fédida, 1999) e a submissão masoquista ao superego primitivo; aponta como o despertar de emoções em relação ao objeto primário gera um ódio intenso e não representado, direcionado à ligação com esse objeto (Bion, 1959); discute a rivalidade em relação ao método analítico (Bion, 1965), bem como a instauração de concordâncias destinadas a evitarem o surgimento de incompreensões malignas e a experiência de caos (Britton, 2003, 2004). Por fim, o artigo ilustra como se dão as tentativas, ainda que limitadas, de o sujeito se emancipar da tirania do superego e destituir o poder de seus aspectos destrutivos. (AU)

Through the background of the traumatic experience with the primary object and of the narcissistic disturbances of the sense of identity (Roussillon, 2011), this paper discusses theoretical and clinical aspects of the flaws in the constitution of intersubjective functions and the presence of a primitive and sadistic superego. It focuses on anxiety of loss and destruction of the object through cannibalistic fantasies (Fédida, 1999) and on the masochistic submission to the primitive superego. This paper shows how the awakening of emotions related to the primary object generates intense and non represented hatred of the link with it (Bion,1959). It also discusses the presence of rivalry over the analytical method (Bion, 1965) and the imposition of agreements designed to prevent the emergence of malignant misunderstandings and experiences of chaos (Britton, 2003, 2004). Finally, it illustrates some attempts, albeit limited, at emancipation from the superego’s tyranny and on the deposition of its destructive aspects. (AU)

El artículo discute, desde una perspectiva teórica y clínica, las fallas en la constitución de las funciones intersubjetivas y la presencia del superyó primitivo sádico, teniendo como base la dimensión traumática de la experiencia con el objeto primario y los trastornos narcisistas de la identidad (Roussillon, 2011). Enfoca la angustia de la pérdida y destrucción del objeto por intermedio de fantasías caníbales (Fédida,1999) y la sumisión masoquista al superyó primitivo; muestra como el despertar de las emociones en relación al objeto primario genera un odio intenso y no representado, dirigido a la conexión con este objeto (Bion, 1959); discute la rivalidad en relación al método analítico (Bion, 1965), así como la instauración de concordancias destinadas a evitar el surgimiento de incomprensiones malignas y la experiencia del caos (Britton, 2003; 2004). Finalmente, el artículo muestra cómo ocurren los intentos, aunque limitados, del sujeto emanciparse de la tiranía del superyó y destituir el poder de sus aspectos destructivos. (AU)

Entre o masoquismo e a melancolia: sob o domínio do superego sádico incorporado / Entre el masoquismo y la melancolía: bajo el dominio del superyó sádico incorporado / Between masochism and melancholy: under the rule of the incorporated sadistic superego

O artigo discute de um ponto de vista teórico e clínico as falhas na constituição das funções intersubjetivas e a presença do superego primitivo sádico, tendo como pano de fundo a dimensão traumática da experiência com o objeto primário e o sofrimento narcísico-identitário (Roussillon, 2011). Enfoca a angústia de perda e destruição do objeto por meio de fantasias canibalistas (Fédida, 1999) e a submissão masoquista ao superego primitivo; aponta como o despertar de emoções em relação ao objeto primário gera um ódio intenso e não representado, direcionado à ligação com esse objeto (Bion, 1959); discute a rivalidade em relação ao método analítico (Bion, 1965), bem como a instauração de concordâncias destinadas a evitarem o surgimento de incompreensões malignas e a experiência de caos (Britton, 2003, 2004). Por fim, o artigo ilustra como se dão as tentativas, ainda que limitadas, de o sujeito se emancipar da tirania do superego e destituir o poder de seus aspectos destrutivos.

Through the background of the traumatic experience with the primary object and of the narcissistic disturbances of the sense of identity (Roussillon, 2011), this paper discusses theoretical and clinical aspects of the flaws in the constitution of intersubjective functions and the presence of a primitive and sadistic superego. It focuses on anxiety of loss and destruction of the object through cannibalistic fantasies (Fédida, 1999) and on the masochistic submission to the primitive superego. This paper shows how the awakening of emotions related to the primary object generates intense and non represented hatred of the link with it (Bion,1959). It also discusses the presence of rivalry over the analytical method (Bion, 1965) and the imposition of agreements designed to prevent the emergence of malignant misunderstandings and experiences of chaos (Britton, 2003, 2004). Finally, it illustrates some attempts, albeit limited, at emancipation from the superego’s tyranny and on the deposition of its destructive aspects.

El artículo discute, desde una perspectiva teórica y clínica, las fallas en la constitución de las funciones intersubjetivas y la presencia del superyó primitivo sádico, teniendo como base la dimensión traumática de la experiencia con el objeto primario y los trastornos narcisistas de la identidad (Roussillon, 2011). Enfoca la angustia de la pérdida y destrucción del objeto por intermedio de fantasías caníbales (Fédida,1999) y la sumisión masoquista al superyó primitivo; muestra como el despertar de las emociones en relación al objeto primario genera un odio intenso y no representado, dirigido a la conexión con este objeto (Bion, 1959); discute la rivalidad en relación al método analítico (Bion, 1965), así como la instauración de concordancias destinadas a evitar el surgimiento de incomprensiones malignas y la experiencia del caos (Britton, 2003; 2004). Finalmente, el artículo muestra cómo ocurren los intentos, aunque limitados, del sujeto emanciparse de la tiranía del superyó y destituir el poder de sus aspectos destructivos.

Eating the dead in Madagascar.

Cannibalism has been poorly understood and has seldom been studied, since it was often suppressed by missionaries and colonial administrators, and very few societies still practise it. Cannibalistic practices are more complex than was originally thought. They may be supported in societies under stress or in times of famine, to reflect aggression and antisocial behaviour (in cases where the bodies of enemies killed in battle or people who have harmed the family are eaten), or to honour a dead kinsman. It was, for example, noted in Madagascar during the imperial campaigns of Ranavalona I in the period 1829 - 1853. Two types of cannibalism have been described: exocannibalism, where enemies were consumed, and endocannibalism, where dead relatives were eaten to assist their passing to the world of the ancestors, or to prolong contact with beloved and admired family members and absorb their good qualities. This article reviews some of the beliefs and motivations that surrounded the cannibalistic practices of the people of Madagascar in the 19th century. 

Combined harvesting of a stage structured prey-predator model incorporating cannibalism in competitive environment.

In this paper, we propose a prey-predator system with stage structure for predator. The proposed system incorporates cannibalism for predator populations in a competitive environment. The combined fishing effort is considered as control used to harvest the populations. The steady states of the system are determined and the dynamical behavior of the system is discussed. Local stability of the system is analyzed and sufficient conditions are derived for the global stability of the system at the positive equilibrium point. The existence of the Hopf bifurcation phenomenon is examined at the positive equilibrium point of the proposed system. We consider harvesting effort as a control parameter and subsequently, characterize the optimal control parameter in order to formulate the optimal control problem under the dynamic framework towards optimal utilization of the resource. Moreover, the optimal system is solved numerically to investigate the sustainability of the ecosystem using an iterative method with a Runge-Kutta fourth-order scheme. Simulation results show that the optimal control scheme can achieve sustainable ecosystem. Results are analyzed with the help of graphical illustrations.

Live deaths online: internet suicide and lethality.

The Internet provides an infinite platform for the portrayal of lethal events. Beyond mere display, however, it dispenses information, allows for participation and sharing of content, and constitutes a virtual interactive forum. The Internet may ultimately shape society's approach to perceiving and dealing with death. Thus, psychiatrists may wish to be aware of these matters so that they may be considered in assessments and clinical care. In this article, the author attempts to identify key online locations where lethality is portrayed and how it may affect the individual patient and practitioner and the population at large.

Sex ratio adjustment by sex-specific maternal cannibalism in hamsters.

Mammalian offspring sex ratios can be biased via prenatal and postnatal mechanisms, including sperm selection, sex-specific embryo loss, and differential postnatal investment in males and females. Syrian hamsters routinely cannibalize some of their pups in the first days after birth. We present evidence that short day lengths, typically predictive of poor autumn and winter field conditions, are associated with male-biased sex ratios, achieved in part through selective perinatal maternal infanticide of female offspring. Higher peak litter sizes were associated with increased cannibalism rates, decreased final litter counts, and increased body mass of pups surviving to weaning. To our knowledge this is the first report of sex ratio adjustment by offspring cannibalism.

Sadism linked to loneliness: psychodynamic dimensions of the sadistic serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer.

In this article the psychodynamic link between loneliness and sadism is examined on basis of a case report of the sadistic and cannibalistic serial killer Jeffery Dahmer. Envy, shame/rage mechanism, a disturbed oral-sadistic development, castration fear and severe feelings of inferiority, the conviction of being unlovable and unacceptable, need to diminish tension, powerful and sadistic fantasies as a consequence of inadequate and frustrated parenting, and reality distortion appear to be involved in sadistic etiology.

Self-cannibalism in the absence of psychosis and substance use.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper is to review the literature and describe a case of self-cannibalism. METHOD: A literature review and a case report of self-cannibalism occurring in a 28-year-old male, in the absence of psychosis and drug and alcohol use, is presented. RESULTS: Seven previous case reports of self-cannibalism were identified in the literature; most cases were associated with severe psychosis. A 28-year-old male amputated and ate a finger, without evidence of impaired reality testing and substance use. CONCLUSION: Although rare, self-cannibalism can occur in the absence of psychosis and substance use. Future reports may lead to a better understanding of this unusual phenomenon.