Capgras' Syndrome
I. Z. Ben-Zion, K. Levine, A. Shiber
Psychiatry Dept., Soroka Medical Center and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheba
We present 3 cases of Capgras' syndrome- a delusional disorder in which the patient believes that 1 (or more) of his acquaintances has been replaced by an imposter who appears as a double. 2 were schizophrenics and 1 had depression with psychotic features. This syndrome is rare in our practice, but we do not know if this is due to lack of awareness of the condition, or to the possibility that it is a culture-related syndrome. We suggest that although the syndrome has lost some of it's significance, it is still worth making the diagnosis because of the medical and psychological implications this condition carries.