Capgras syndrome
Pronunciation: cap-GRAH syndrome
Delusion that familiar people have been replaced by identical imposters.
Full Definition
A rare delusional misidentification syndrome where patients maintain that close family members, friends, or caregivers have been replaced by physically identical imposters or doubles. Named after French psychiatrist Joseph Capgras, this condition typically results from damage to connections between facial recognition areas and emotional processing centers in the brain. Patients can recognize faces cognitively but lack the emotional familiarity response, leading to the imposter belief. The syndrome is most commonly associated with dementia, particularly Lewy body disease, but can occur following stroke, traumatic brain injury, or in psychiatric conditions.
Usage
Usage note: Named after Joseph Capgras; distinguish from other misidentification syndromes like Fregoli or reduplicative paramnesia.
In Context
- "The dementia patient's Capgras syndrome caused significant distress as she insisted her husband was an imposter." — Geriatric psychiatry consultation
- "Capgras syndrome resolved partially following adjustment of antipsychotic medications." — Follow-up clinic note