Review Article | | Peer-Reviewed

Capgras Syndrome with Non-Violent Behaviour Presenting in Postpartum Period: Case Study with Literature Review

Received: 16 May 2024     Accepted: 11 June 2024     Published: 29 June 2024
Views:       Downloads:
Abstract

Background: Capgras syndrome (CS) is one of the delusional misidentification syndromes (DMS) characterized by the belief by the patient that the close person, usually a close relative or family member is replaced by an imposter who looks physically the same. Since the first case of Capgras syndrome was described in 1923, the published literature is confined to a small number of case reports and a single case series. Capgras syndrome rarely occurs in postpartum period; there are few references in the literature to any of the delusions of misidentification occurring in a post partum period. Moreover, some authors described Capgras syndrome as frequently involving hostility, violence and risk of neglect towards an object of delusional misidentification. Their reports based on single cases report or small case series that may be subject to significant reporting bias. This case outlined here on a female patient affected by Capgras syndrome in post partum period with brief review of the literature. Case presentation: A 32-year-old woman presented to the psychiatric clinic for a delusional belief that newborn had been replaced by another one. Capgras delusion was developed after caesarean section on her 12th postpartum day. The patient was healthy individual whose Capgras syndrome was not linked to any psychiatric or neurological states in the past. Anxiety and depressive symptoms followed progressively without postpartum psychosis. Though she has a fixed belief, which is that her baby was replaced by another one, she did not show any psychotic features or aggression behaviour. Conclusion: In this case report, Capgras syndrome is typically a monothematic delusion (delusion about the baby may have an altered identity or replaced by another one) and is not accompanied by other delusions. Also, it displays the course of anxiety and depression in the period of postpartum period that accompanied with Capgras syndrome. The patient has no postpartum psychosis, only a delusion about the baby replaced by another one. Though her ambivalent emotions toward the baby, the patient did not show any hostility, aggression behaviour or violence and denied thoughts of harming baby.

Published in American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience (Volume 12, Issue 2)
DOI 10.11648/j.ajpn.20241202.13
Page(s) 39-45
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Capgras Syndrome, Capgras Delusion, Delusional Misidentification Syndrome, Postpartum Depression

References
[1] Edelstyn NMJ and Oyebode F. A review of the phenomenology and cognitive neuropsychological origins of the Capgras syndrome. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 1999, 14, 48–59.
[2] Berson RJ. Capgras’ syndrome. Am J Psychiatry. 1983; 140(8), 969–78.
[3] Gaël Le Vacon 2006; rough translation: "Clinical approach to Capgras syndrome or 'illusion of doubles' illustrated by a case"-"Approcheclinique du syndrome de Capgrasou «illusion des sosies» illustrée par uncas".
[4] Darby R, Prasad S. Lesion-related delusional misidentification syndromes: a comprehensive review of reported cases. J Neuropsychiatry ClinNeurosci. 2016 Summer; 28(3), 217–22.
[5] Christodoulou GN. The syndrome of Capgras. Br J Psychiatry. June 1977, 130, 556-564.
[6] Maharajh, H. D., &Lutchman, R. D. Capgras syndrome and organic disease. British Journal of Psychiatry. 1988, 153(5), 715.
[7] Jocic Z. Delusional misidentification syndromes. Jefferson J Psychiatry. 1992, 10(1): 3-11.
[8] Tamam L, Karatas G, Zeren T, Ozpoyraz N. The prevalence of Capgras syndrome in a university hospital setting. ActaNeuropsychiatr. 2003, 15(5), 290–5.
[9] Salvatore P, Bhuvaneswar C, Tohen M, Khalsa H-MK, Maggini C, Baldessarini RJ. Capgras Syndrome in First-Episode Psychotic Disorders. Psychopathology. 2014; 47(4), 261–9.
[10] Merrin EL, Silberfarb PM. The Capgras phenomenon. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1976, 33(8), 965-968.
[11] Haslam MT. A case of Capgras syndrome. Am J Psychiatry. 1973, 130(4), 493-494.
[12] Silva JA, Tekell JL, Leong GB, Bowden CL. Delusional misidentification of the self associated with nondominant cerebral pathology. J Clin Psychiatry. 1995, 56(4), 171.
[13] Frazer SJ, Roberts JM. Three cases of Capgras’ syndrome. Br J Psychiatry. 1994, 164(4), 557-559.
[14] Collins MN, Hawthorne ME, Gribbin N, Jacobson R. Capgras’ syndrome with organic disorders. Postgrad Med J. 1990, 66(782), 1064-1067.
[15] Kapur N, Turner A, King C. Reduplicative paramnesia: possible anatomical and neuropsychological mechanisms. J NeurolNeurosurg Psychiatry. 1988, 51(4), 579-581.
[16] Benson DF, Gardner H, Meadows JC. Reduplicative paramnesia. Neurology. 1976, 26(2), 47-151.
[17] Sumners D. Believing your husband has been replaced by an impostor because you have a pituitary tumour. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). 1984, 289(6446), 699-700.
[18] Harciarek M, Kertesz A: The prevalence of misidentification syndromes in neurodegenerative diseases. Alzheimer Dis AssocDisord 2008, 22: 163–169.
[19] Cummings JL, Miller B, Hill MA, Neshkes R. Neuropsychiatric aspects of multiinfarct dementia and dementia of the Alzheimer type. Arch Neurol. 1987, 44(4), 389-393.
[20] Burns A, Philpot M. Capgras’ syndrome in a patient with dementia. Br J Psychiatry. June 1987, 150, 876-877.
[21] Kumar V. Capgras syndrome in a patient with dementia. Br J Psychiatry. February 1987, 150, 251.
[22] Roane DM, Rogers JD, Robinson JH, Feinberg TE. Delusional misidentification in association with parkinsonism. J Neuropsychiatry ClinNeurosci. 1998, 10 (2), 194-198.
[23] Diesfeldt HF, Troost D. Delusional misidentification and subsequent dementia: aclinical and neuropathological study. Dementia. 1995, 6(2), 94-98.
[24] Josephs KA. The Capgras delusion and its relationship to neurodegenerative disease. Arch Neurol. 2007, 64(12), 1762-1766.
[25] Devinsky O. Behavioral neurology. The neurology of the Capgras delusion. Rev Neurol Dis. 2008, 5(2), 97-100.
[26] Solla P, Cannas A, Floris GL, et al. Behavioral, neuropsychiatric and cognitive disorders in Parkinson’s disease patients with and without motor complications. ProgNeuropsychopharmacolBiol Psychiatry. 2011, 35, 1009-13.
[27] Sathe H, Karia S, De Sousa A, Shah N. Capgras syndrome: a case report. Paripex Indian J Res. 2014, 3(8), 134-135.
[28] Enoch MD, Trethowan WH. Uncommon Psychiatric Syndromes. 3rd ed. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1991.
[29] O’Sullivan D, Dean C. The Fregoli syndrome and puerperal psychosis. Br J Psychiatry. 1991 Aug; 159, 274–7.
[30] De Leo D, Galligioni S, Magni G. A case of Capgras' delusion presenting as a post partum psychosis. J Clin Psychiatry 1985, 46, 242-3.
[31] Joshi S, Thapa M, Manandhar A, Shakya R. Capgras delusion in postpartum psychosis: a case report. Ann Gen Psychiatry. 2021 Mar 20, 20(1), 21.
[32] Ratan DA, Friedman T. Capgras syndrome in postpartum depression. Ir J Psychol Med. 1997; 14(3): 117–8.
[33] Cohn CK, Rosenblatt S, Faillace LA. Capgras' syndrome presenting as postpartum psychosis. South Med J 1977, 70(8), 942.
[34] Rapinesi C, Kotzalidis GD, Del Casale A, Ferri VR, Di Pietro S, Scatena P, et al. Treatmentresistant, five-year long, postpartum-onset Capgras episode resolving after electroconvulsivetherapy. Int J Psychiatry Med. 2015, 49(3), 227–34.
[35] Nilsson R, Perris C. The Capgras syndrome: a case report. ActaPsychiatrScand 1971; 221(suppl): 53-8.
[36] Foerstl H. Capgras’ delusion: an example of coalescent psychodynamic and organic factors. Compr Psychiatry. 1990 Sep–Oct; 31(5), 447–9.
[37] Pandis C, Agrawal N, Poole N. Capgras’ delusion: a systematic review of 255 published cases. Psychopathology. 2019, 52(3), 161–73.
[38] Lewis Gabriella, Blake Lucy, Seneviratne Gertrude. Delusional Misidentification Syndromes in Postpartum Psychosis: A Systematic Review Psychopathology. 2023; 56: 285–294
[39] Bourget, D., & Whitehurst, L. Capgras syndrome: A review of the neurophysiological correlates and presenting clinical features in cases involving physical violence. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. (2004), 49(11), 719–725.
[40] Carabellese, F., Rocca, G., Candelli, C., &Catanesi, R. Mental illness, violence and delusional misidentifications: The role of Capgras’ syndrome in matricide. Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, 2014, 21, 9–13.
[41] De Pauw, K. W., &Szulecka, T. K. Dangerous delusions: Violence and the misidentification syndromes. The British Journal of Psychiatry. 1988, 152(1), 91-96.
[42] Horn, M., Pins, D., Vaiva, G., Thomas, P., Fovet, T., &Amad, A. Delusional misidentification syndromes: A factor associated with violence? Literature review of case reports. L’Encephale. 2018, 44(4), 372–378.
[43] Silva, J. A., Harry, B. E., Leong, G. B., and Weinstock, R. Dangerous delusional misidentification and homicide. Journal of Forensic Science, 1996. 41(4), 641–644.
[44] Emily A. Currell, Nomi Werbeloff, Joseph. F. Hayes & Vaughan Bell (2019): Cognitive neuropsychiatric analysis of an additional large Capgras delusion case series, Cognitive Neuropsychiatry,
[45] Silva JA, Leong GB, Weinstock R. The dangerousness of persons with misidentification syndromes. Bull Am Acad Psychiatry Law. 1992. 20(1): 77–86.
[46] Silva JA, Sharma KK, Leong GB, Weinstock R. Dangerousness of the delusional misidentification of children. J Forensic Sci. 1992 May; 37(3), 830–8.
[47] Christodoulou, G. N. The delusional misidentification syndromes. British Journal of Psychiatry. 1991. 159(1), 65–69.
[48] Dietl, T., Herr, A., Brunner, H., &Friess, E. Capgras syndrome: Out of sight, out of mind? ActaPsychiatricaScandinavica. 2003, 108(6), 460–462.
[49] Christodoulou GN. Syndrome of subjective doubles. Am J Psychiatry 1978, 135, 249–51.
[50] Blount G. Dangerousness of patients with Capgras syndrome. Nebr Med J 1986, 71, 207.
[51] Kimura S, Inamoto Y, Katsurada T. A rare case of Capgras syndrome observed in wakeamine induced psychosis. Folia PsychiatricaetNeurologica Japonica 1981, 35, 43–54.
[52] Swanson J, Holzer C, Ganju V, Jono R. Violence and psychiatric disorder in the community: evidence from the Epidemiological Catchment Area surveys. Hosp Community Psychiatry 1990, 41, 761–70.
[53] Swanson JW. Alcohol abuse, mental disorder, and violent behavior. An epidemiologic inquiry. Alcohol Health Res World. 1993, 17, 123–32.
[54] Silva JA, Leong GB, Weinstock R., Catherine LB. Capgras syndrome and dangerousness. Bull Am Acad Psychiatry Law. 1989, vol. 17 No 1.
[55] Weinstock R. Capgras syndrome: a case involving violence (letter to editor). Am J Psychiarty. 1976, 133: 855.
[56] Sit D, Rothschild AJ, Wisner KL. A Review of Postpartum Psychosis. J Womens Health. 2002, 15(4), 352–68.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Numan, N. A. (2024). Capgras Syndrome with Non-Violent Behaviour Presenting in Postpartum Period: Case Study with Literature Review. American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, 12(2), 39-45. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajpn.20241202.13

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    Numan, N. A. Capgras Syndrome with Non-Violent Behaviour Presenting in Postpartum Period: Case Study with Literature Review. Am. J. Psychiatry Neurosci. 2024, 12(2), 39-45. doi: 10.11648/j.ajpn.20241202.13

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    Numan NA. Capgras Syndrome with Non-Violent Behaviour Presenting in Postpartum Period: Case Study with Literature Review. Am J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2024;12(2):39-45. doi: 10.11648/j.ajpn.20241202.13

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.ajpn.20241202.13,
      author = {Nabil Ahmed Numan},
      title = {Capgras Syndrome with Non-Violent Behaviour Presenting in Postpartum Period: Case Study with Literature Review
    },
      journal = {American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience},
      volume = {12},
      number = {2},
      pages = {39-45},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajpn.20241202.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajpn.20241202.13},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajpn.20241202.13},
      abstract = {Background: Capgras syndrome (CS) is one of the delusional misidentification syndromes (DMS) characterized by the belief by the patient that the close person, usually a close relative or family member is replaced by an imposter who looks physically the same. Since the first case of Capgras syndrome was described in 1923, the published literature is confined to a small number of case reports and a single case series. Capgras syndrome rarely occurs in postpartum period; there are few references in the literature to any of the delusions of misidentification occurring in a post partum period. Moreover, some authors described Capgras syndrome as frequently involving hostility, violence and risk of neglect towards an object of delusional misidentification. Their reports based on single cases report or small case series that may be subject to significant reporting bias. This case outlined here on a female patient affected by Capgras syndrome in post partum period with brief review of the literature. Case presentation: A 32-year-old woman presented to the psychiatric clinic for a delusional belief that newborn had been replaced by another one. Capgras delusion was developed after caesarean section on her 12th postpartum day. The patient was healthy individual whose Capgras syndrome was not linked to any psychiatric or neurological states in the past. Anxiety and depressive symptoms followed progressively without postpartum psychosis. Though she has a fixed belief, which is that her baby was replaced by another one, she did not show any psychotic features or aggression behaviour. Conclusion: In this case report, Capgras syndrome is typically a monothematic delusion (delusion about the baby may have an altered identity or replaced by another one) and is not accompanied by other delusions. Also, it displays the course of anxiety and depression in the period of postpartum period that accompanied with Capgras syndrome. The patient has no postpartum psychosis, only a delusion about the baby replaced by another one. Though her ambivalent emotions toward the baby, the patient did not show any hostility, aggression behaviour or violence and denied thoughts of harming baby.
    },
     year = {2024}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Capgras Syndrome with Non-Violent Behaviour Presenting in Postpartum Period: Case Study with Literature Review
    
    AU  - Nabil Ahmed Numan
    Y1  - 2024/06/29
    PY  - 2024
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajpn.20241202.13
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ajpn.20241202.13
    T2  - American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience
    JF  - American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience
    JO  - American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience
    SP  - 39
    EP  - 45
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2330-426X
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajpn.20241202.13
    AB  - Background: Capgras syndrome (CS) is one of the delusional misidentification syndromes (DMS) characterized by the belief by the patient that the close person, usually a close relative or family member is replaced by an imposter who looks physically the same. Since the first case of Capgras syndrome was described in 1923, the published literature is confined to a small number of case reports and a single case series. Capgras syndrome rarely occurs in postpartum period; there are few references in the literature to any of the delusions of misidentification occurring in a post partum period. Moreover, some authors described Capgras syndrome as frequently involving hostility, violence and risk of neglect towards an object of delusional misidentification. Their reports based on single cases report or small case series that may be subject to significant reporting bias. This case outlined here on a female patient affected by Capgras syndrome in post partum period with brief review of the literature. Case presentation: A 32-year-old woman presented to the psychiatric clinic for a delusional belief that newborn had been replaced by another one. Capgras delusion was developed after caesarean section on her 12th postpartum day. The patient was healthy individual whose Capgras syndrome was not linked to any psychiatric or neurological states in the past. Anxiety and depressive symptoms followed progressively without postpartum psychosis. Though she has a fixed belief, which is that her baby was replaced by another one, she did not show any psychotic features or aggression behaviour. Conclusion: In this case report, Capgras syndrome is typically a monothematic delusion (delusion about the baby may have an altered identity or replaced by another one) and is not accompanied by other delusions. Also, it displays the course of anxiety and depression in the period of postpartum period that accompanied with Capgras syndrome. The patient has no postpartum psychosis, only a delusion about the baby replaced by another one. Though her ambivalent emotions toward the baby, the patient did not show any hostility, aggression behaviour or violence and denied thoughts of harming baby.
    
    VL  - 12
    IS  - 2
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

Author Information
  • Sections