Capgras syndrome

of Capgras is a psychiatric disease characterized by the firm belief that one or more familiar persons have been replaced by strangers identical to them.

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Those affected claim that people close to them - such as spouses, friends, siblings, children or parents - have been replaced by impersonators, impostors or even aliens. In some cases, Capgras syndrome can extend to pets or familiar places as well.

The exact causes are not yet fully known. However, Capgras syndrome has been shown to be related to brain injury, dementia or other organic brain disorders.

The recognition of this syndrome through an adequate diagnostic process is of primary importance. Capgras syndrome can be tackled with drug-based therapy (neuroleptics or other types) associated with a course of psychotherapy.

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The name of the syndrome is due to the French doctor Joseph Capgras, who first described it in 1923, giving the example of "Madame M.", a patient who claimed that her husband and other people known to her had been replaced by a double. The psychiatrist defined this pathological form as "illusion des sosies", although it is not a real illusion, since the sensory perception is intact. Originally, Capgras argued that the delusion was the consequence of feelings of strangeness experienced by the patient towards people who are emotionally close (in practice, rather than facing a possible conflict , the subject developed the symptoms associated with the pathology).

In the past, Capgras syndrome was associated with hysteria, so it was considered a purely female psychiatric disorder. In 1980, the investigation of the possible causes at the origin of the pathology made it possible to establish that the pathology derives mainly from organic brain lesions or Today, therefore, Capgras syndrome is understood as a neurological disorder that can be concomitant with other psychiatric pathologies, such as schizophrenia.

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Capgras syndrome has been identified, in particular, as a consequence of head trauma, cerebrovascular disorders, neurodegenerative diseases (such as Alzheimer's) and various forms of dementia.

Furthermore, it is not uncommon for patients with this condition to encounter other psychiatric disorders or organic disorders of the brain, such as, for example: schizophrenia, mood disorders, epilepsy, alcoholism, encephalitis and more.