The Capgras syndrome, as it is popularly known, is a colorful disorder in which the patient believes that a close friend, relative, etc., is not the "real"person but an exact look-alike, an impostor. Previous research has almost uniformly suggested that this syndrome is the result of long-standing intrapsychic conflicts, and thus a psychodynamic etiology was proffered. The focal point of this paper is to review the numerous references in the literature regarding a neurohgical/neuropsychological cause of the disorder. In addition, a new theory is proposed by the author on the origin of Capgras from the realms of both neurology and neuropsychology. The importance of these considerations in proper diagnosis and treatment is highlighted.
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