Clinical features of Alzheimer\u2019s patients with Capgras syndrome

ABSTRACT

Background: Capgras syndrome is a special psychotic feature of Alzheimer\u2019s Disease (AD). It is the most common disorder among 4 primary delusional misidentification syndromes in AD. However, there\u2019s not been that much research done into this syndrome in Vietnam. Objectives: To describe the clinical appearances of Capgras syndrome and its effect on the severity and progress of AD. Subjects: 35 patients with diagnoses of AD according to DSM-4 criteria, treated at the National Institute of Mental Health, National Psychiatric Hospital and Hanoi Psychiatric Hospital over a period of 5 years (1997-2002). They were divided into 2 groups with and without Capgras syndrome. Method: Descriptive, prospective and longitudinal study. This was small size clinical study, so p\u2013value was used to compare 2 groups of patients. Results: Of the 35 AD patients, 8 patients (22.8%) had Capgras syndrome. Capgras syndrome was seen more frequently in women (6/8 patients) at the late episode of the disease. Its features were similar to descriptions by journals on the subject, 5 out of 8 patients had delusions. Disability on daily life and psychotic, conductive, affective disorders were seen more frequent and severe on patients with Capgras syndrome. Paraclinical findings showed that in patients with Capgras syndrome, the lesions were more predominant in the right hemisphere. Conclusion: Capgras syndrome was usually accompanied with behavioral, affective disorders. Especially, it increases cognitive impairment of patients. Further studies on the relationships between Capgras syndrome and special lesions in the brain are required.