Capgras syndrome is a very rare neurological disorder in which patients do not recognize themselves, their possessions, or their loved ones, and become convinced that they have been replaced by exactly identical “imposters”. Capgras syndrome was named after Joseph Capgras, a French psychiatrist who first identified the disorder as “the illusion of doubles” in 1923. Capgras syndrome is classified as a “delusional misidentification syndrome”, which is a class of delusional beliefs that involves the misidentification of people, places, or objects. It may occur in acute, transient, or chronic forms. Capgras syndrome was initially believed to only occur in females, but it is now believed to affect both females and males with a ratio of 3:2.
Capgras syndrome affects people in different ways. Some patients may see themselves in the mirror and have no idea that they are looking at their own reflection, yet their reflection is the only “imposter” that has entered their life – everyone else is still the same person they were before. Others may not recognize their family, pets, or friends. The patient may feel as if they are speaking with their loved one when they hear their voice, but seeing their face causes the patient to no longer believe it is really them, they see a person with an identical appearance and behaviors but there is something about them that no longer makes them someone the patient recognizes. In other cases, the patient may feel as if it is only their possessions that are (continually) being replaced with imposters because they cannot recognize them.
This disorder tends to most commonly present itself in patients suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, dementia or other neurodegenerative disorders. Over one third of patients suffering from Capgras syndrome have suffered from head trauma. It has also been associated with Alzheimer’s, organic brain damage, diabetes, epilepsy, frequent migraines, and hypothyroidism. Researchers have not been able to come to...