[Post-traumatic awakening and "child of the night"].

Abstract

Clinical configuration of borderline period of awakening is described based on the triangular relation (Patient, Family, Care Team) beginning during coma. The possible suffering before awakening (regressive attitude, downfall of immune defences, and so on ...) evokes a sort of reply of trauma and the hypothesis that mechanisms of "negative hallucination" play a part in post-traumatic amnesia.