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Capgras’ syndrome
Published in David Enoch, Basant K. Puri, Hadrian Ball, Uncommon Psychiatric Syndromes, 2020
David Enoch, Basant K. Puri, Hadrian Ball
Given that about one in three cases have an organic component or association, it is imperative to bear this possibility in mind when taking a detailed history, noting any relevant infections or traumas such as encephalitis or head injury. Furthermore, in a case of Capgras’ delusion, it is essential to carry out detailed psychometric tests, EEG and CT or MRI neuroimaging. Such detailed examinations are now mandatory in spite of the fact that no specific location or lesion has been established as the primary cause of Capgras’ syndrome.
The Capgras Delusion
Published in Ragy R. Girgis, Gary Brucato, Jeffrey A. Lieberman, Understanding and Caring for People with Schizophrenia, 2020
Ragy R. Girgis, Gary Brucato, Jeffrey A. Lieberman
William’s next appointment was four weeks later. His tardive movements were nearly nonexistent, though William was not interested in talking about his movements. Rather, William described to his psychiatrist that one of the sous chefs at his place of employment was actually his commanding officer from the military. William reported feeling perplexed by how he did not realize it before, but was concerned that his commanding officer knew of his diagnosis of schizophrenia and was going to send a report to the army recommending that his honorable discharge be changed to a dishonorable discharge. After a long therapy session, it appeared that William had 100% conviction about this delusion, otherwise known as a Capgras delusion – namely, that someone close to a patient has been replaced by an impostor.
Case 74: My wife is an impostor
Published in Barry Wright, Subodh Dave, Nisha Dogra, 100 Cases in Psychiatry, 2017
Barry Wright, Subodh Dave, Nisha Dogra
This is a description of Capgras syndrome – a rare condition in which the patient believes that an impostor who has taken on a similar appearance has replaced a family member or close acquaintance. Capgras syndrome is more properly referred to as Capgras delusion as it is a particular type of delusional disorder (delusional misrepresentation of personal identity). It is most commonly seen in schizophrenia but a third of cases are thought to be due to organic pathology such as brain injury or dementia.
Capgras and Fregoli syndromes: delusion and misidentification
Published in International Review of Psychiatry, 2020
Antonio Ventriglio, Dinesh Bhugra, Domenico De Berardis, Julio Torales, João Mauricio Castaldelli-Maia, Andrea Fiorillo
Cargnello and Della Beffa (1953) explained the Capgras and Fregoli delusional experience as the encounter of three instances: the ill subject, the alter (a third person well known by the patient), the alius (the impostor or disguised); the alius is intensively present in the psychotic experience and becomes patient’s Erlebnis (life-experience). Todd (1957) proposed an explanatory model based on the splitting of parental figures into good and evil objects, as theorised by Melanie Klein. Berson (1983) recognised three pre-existing conditions leading to Capgras delusion, which were a psychotic state and paranoia, the splitting of an internalised object, a change in some significant relationships. Also, according to Merrin and Silberfarb (1976), there may be a connection between depersonalization/derealization and Capgras experience: they may prelude the Capgras misidentification with a progressive loss of insight by the patient.
Neuroanniversary 2023
Published in Journal of the History of the Neurosciences, 2023
The Capgras delusion was first described in 1923 by Jean Marie Joseph Capgras (1873–1950) in a paper titled “L’Illusion des ‘sosies’ dans un délire systématisé chronique” (“The Illusion of ‘Doubles’ in a Systematic and Chronic Delirium”) in the Bulletin de la Société Clinique de Médicine Mentale.