Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T05:28:26.641Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Syndrome of Capgras

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

G. N. Christodoulou*
Affiliation:
Athens University, Eginition Hospital, Vasilissis Sofias 74, Athens, Greece

Summary

In eleven patients with the syndrome of Capgras, the clinical data and the results of electroencephalographic, echoencephalographic, air-encephalographic, psychological and brain-scanning investigations are presented and discussed. All patients were psychotic: six were schizophrenic, four were depressive and one suffered from an organic psychosis. A paranoid element was marked in all cases.

The present evidence supports the view that organic factors are important in the pathogenesis of Capgras' syndrome.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1977 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ackner, B. (1954) Depersonalization. II. Clinical syndromes. Journal of Mental Science, 100, 854–72.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Benton, A. C. (1965) Mannuel de rétention visuelle. Paris: Editions du centre de psychologie appliquée.Google Scholar
Bessière (1913) Paranoia et psychose périodique. Thése de Paris. Leclerc. Quoted by Brochado, A. (1936).Google Scholar
Brochado, A. (1936) Le syndrome de Capgras. Annales médico-psychologiques, 15, 706–17.Google Scholar
Capgras, J. & Reboul-Lachaud, J. (1923) Illusion des sosies dans un délire systématisé chronique. Bulletin de la Société Clinique de Médecine Mentale, ii, 616.Google Scholar
Cenac-Thaly, H., Frelot, G., Guinard, M., Tricot, J. C. & Lacour, M. (1962) L'illusion de sosies. Annales médico-psychologiques, 2, 481–94.Google Scholar
Christodoulou, G. N. (1967) Sphenoidal electrodes: their significance in diagnosing temporal lobe epileptogenic foci. Acta Neurologica Scandinavica, 43, 587–93.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Christodoulou, G. N. (1975) The Syndrome of Doubles. Associate Professorship Thesis, Athens University.Google Scholar
Christodoulou, G. N. (1976) Delusional hyper-identifications of the Frégoli type: organic pathogenetic contributors. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 54, 305–14.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Coleman, S. M. (1933) Misidentification and non-recognition. Journal of Mental Science, 79, 4251.Google Scholar
Courbon, P. & Fail, G. (1927) Illusion de Frégoli. Bulletin de la Société Clinique de Médecine Mentale, 15, 121–4.Google Scholar
Courbon, P. & Tusques, J. (1932) Illusions d'intermetamorphose et de charme. Annales médico-psychologiques, 90, 401–5.Google Scholar
Delay, J., Perrier, F. & Schmitz, B. (1952) Action de diverses thérapeutiques de choc sur un syndrome d'illusion de sosies. Annales médico-psychologiques, 120, 235–8.Google Scholar
Enoch, M., Trethowan, W. & Barker, J. (1967) The Capgras Syndrome. In Some Uncommon Psychiatric Syndromes. Bristol: John Wright & Sons.Google Scholar
Frey, M., Maurel, H. & Spielmann, J. P. (1956) Sur une observation d'illusion de sosie. Annales médico-psychologiques, 114, 891–6.Google Scholar
Gluckman, J. K. (1968) A case of Capgras syndrome. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 2, 3943.Google Scholar
Henderson & Gillespie (1962) Textbook of Psychiatry (revised by Henderson, D. and Batchelor, I. R. C.), p 108. London: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Lansky, M. R. (1974) Delusions in a patient with Capgras' syndrome. Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic, 38, 360–4.Google Scholar
Lévy-Valensi (1929) L'illusion des sosies. Gazette des Hôpitaux, 10 juillet.Google Scholar
MacCallum, W. A. G. (1973) Capgras symptoms with an organic basis. British Journal of Psychiatry, 123, 639–42.Google Scholar
Magnan (1893) Leçons cliniques. Paris: Bataille.Google Scholar
Malliara, S. & Demetrakoudi, M. (1972) Bilateral paroxysmal slow activity in the EEG records of non-epileptic patients. Nosokomiaka Chronica, 34, 127–31.Google Scholar
Malliara, S. & Demakou, G. (1974) EEG abnormalities in non-epileptic patients. Paper delivered on 24 January at Eginition Hospital. Symposium organized by the Department of Neurology, Athens University.Google Scholar
Mayer-Gross, W. (1935) On depersonalization. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 15, 103–26.Google Scholar
Murray, J. R. (1936) A case of Capgras's syndrome in the male. Journal of Mental Science, 82, 63–6.Google Scholar
Nilsson, R. & Perris, C. (1971) The Capgras syndrome: a case report. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 222, 53–8.Google Scholar
Rey, A. (1959) Test de copie d'une figure complexe. Paris: Editions du centre de psychologie appliquée.Google Scholar
Spengos, M., Kokras, A., Garelis, E. & Scarpalezos, S. (1970) Echoencephalographic study of the width of the third ventricle in epileptic patients. Iatrika Chronika, 10, 177–84.Google Scholar
Spengos, M., Souretis, J., Papoulias, E. & Scarpalezos, S. (1971) Air-encephalographic study of epilepsy in relation to clinical and EEG data. Iatrika Chronika, 11, 1123.Google Scholar
Vié, J. (1930) Un trouble de l'identification des personnes: l'illusion des sosies. Annales médico-psycho-logiques, 88, 214–37.Google Scholar
Vogel, F. B. (1974) The Capgras syndrome and its psychopathology. American Journal of Psychiatry, 131, 922–4.Google Scholar
Wechsler, D. (1958) The Measurement and Appraisal of Adult Intelligence. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins.Google Scholar
Weston, M.J. & Whitlock, F. A. (1971) The Capgras syndrome following head injury. British Journal of Psychiatry, 119, 2531.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.