Gaëtan Gatian de Clerambault

Gaétan Henri Alfred Edouard Léon Marie Gatian de Clérambault (July 2, 1872, Bourges – 1934) was a French psychiatrist.

Clerambault gained his thesis in 1899. In 1905 he became assistant physician at the special infirmary for the insane, Prefecture de Police. From 1920 he was head of this institution. Apart from his psychiatric studies, he was an acclaimed painter and wrote on the costumes of various native tribes. He committed suicide by firearm in 1934.

He is known for creating a theoretical system in which the understanding of the basic characteristics of psychotic symptoms would link with the description of their alleged underlying neural processes. These neural processes would then be defined in terms of abnormal behavior of neural connectivity. Clérambault provided a thorough taxonomy of psychotic symptoms based on subtle nuances, which he arranged in a complex system of categories and groups based on sensory, mental and motor phenomena. Eventually, all the categorized symptoms would be defined by a single, common characteristic; their autonomous and automatic nature. The psychotic symptoms were then referred to as "automatisms".

Clérambault believed that automatisms can happen in the context of normal, or during subnormal thinking processes when the nervous system is challenged. Therefore in the context of automatisms, the boundaries of psychotic and normal functionality are redefined.

Famously, French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan attributes his 'entry into psychoanalysis' as largely due to the influence of Clerambault, whom he regards as his 'only master in psychiatry.'

Associated syndromes
de Clerambault's syndrome, (also called erotomania) a condition in which a person becomes deluded that a certain person of higher social status is in love with them. Described by Clérambault in his publication of Les Psychoses Passionelles in 1921.

Kandinsky-Clérambault syndrome, a confusing clinical entity in which the patient believes his mind is being controlled by someone else or external forces. Named along with Russian physician Victor Khrisanfovich Kandinsky (1849-1889).

External Source:
 * Description of Automatisms

Gaëtan Gatian de Clérambault Gaëtan Gatian de Clérambault