Prevalence and correlates of Capgras syndrome in Alzheimer's Disease

✍ Scribed by Dylan G. Harwood; Warren W. Barker; Raymond L. Ownby; Ranjan Duara

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 89 KB
• Volume: 14
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0885-6230
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-1166(199906)14:6<415::aid-gps929>3.0.co;2-3

✦ Synopsis

Objectives. This study examined the prevalence and clinical correlates of Capgras syndrome (CS) in Alzheimer's disease.

Design. Cross-sectional study of elderly patients evaluated at an outpatient memory disorders clinic classi®ed according to the presence or absence of CS.

Subjects. One hundred and ®fty-one consecutive patients diagnosed with probable (N 110) or possible (N 48) Alzheimer's disease (AD) utilizing NINCDS±ADRDA diagnostic criteria. Materials. The Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale (BEHAVE-AD), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Blessed Dementia Scale (BDS).

Results. CS was observed in 10% of the sample (N 16). Associated factors included other delusions, lower MMSE scores and higher BDS scores. The relation between CS and both cognitive and functional status remained signi®cant after controlling for other delusions.

Conclusion. CS was prevalent in approximately 10% of our community-dwelling AD sample. This syndrome was more common at the later stages of the illness and showed relations with increased functional impairment and other psychotic symptomatology.