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.
Alzheimer\u2019s disease ; Capgras syndrome

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the characteristics of Capgras syndrome in patients diagnosed as probable Alzheimer disease, and compared the clinical and imaging findings with other previous reports. METHODS: We obtained medical records of patients with Capgras syndrome diagnosed as probable Alzheimer disease in three hospitals from March 2009 to March 2010. The basic characteristics, neuropsychologic tests, brain imaging data were investigated. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 74.7 years old and all of the patients experienced this syndrome in relation to a spouse. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed mild-to-moderate global atrophy, variable hippocampal atrophy in this study. The Mini-Mental State Examination mean scores were 18.78 and clinical dementia rating scores were from 1 to 2. All of the patients took medicine of acetycholine esterase inhibitors and two patients recovered with antipsychotic medication. Five patients had showed continuous Capgras syndrome, at the last follow-up day, for a year. CONCLUSION: Capgras syndrome patients in this study who were diagnosed as probable Alzheimer disease showed similar results to the individuals from other reports. More study is needed to estimate the numbers and characteristics of patients with this syndrome.
Alzheimer Disease ; Atrophy ; Brain ; Capgras Syndrome ; Dementia ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Medical Records ; Neuroimaging ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Spouses

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to describe the demographic, clinical and offense characteristics of the patients with schizophrenia who committed parricide. This study also investigated the risk factors of parricide by comparing with characteristics of stranger killers to prevent the tragic offense. METHODS: The sample consisted of 88 schizophrenic patients who committed homicide, 59 of them committed parricide and 29 of them killed strangers. Medical chart review regarding demographic and clinical characteristics as well as offense characteristics was conducted. The information that was difficult to be obtained through chart review was acquired by direct interview. RESULTS: Parricide group had earlier age of onset, more conflicts with the victims, more violence history toward victims and more offense provoking events than stranger killing group. Parricide group showed higher rate of past treatment than that of stranger killing group. However drug compliance at the time of offense was low in both groups. Offense provoking events in the parricide group included blaming, threatening a forced hospitalization or medication toward patients. The most common psychiatric symptoms associated with homicide were threat/control override (TCO) symptoms, delusional perception, commanding auditory hallucination and especially with parricide, Capgras syndrome (CS). CONCLUSION: Interaction between psychotic symptoms such as TCO, CS and underlying emotion toward victims are likely to be associated with parricide. Mental health professionals are expected to play an important role in preventing this tragic offense by active history taking of the violence and effective management with active caregiver education/intervention of intrafamilial conflicts.
Age of Onset ; Capgras Syndrome ; Caregivers ; Compliance ; Delusions ; Hallucinations ; Homicide ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Risk Factors ; Schizophrenia ; Violence