This report describes an unexplained death following the collapse of will caused by resisted mechanical restraint in a 93-year-old woman with dementia. Clinical and experimental evidence is cited supporting resisted restraint as a significant noxious stimulus that can be linked to sudden death and immune dysfunction. This woman's story serves to remind us of the critical link between mind and body, and of the mortal consequences possible when we forget.
(Arch Intern Med. 1995;155:2250-2251)