Olanzapine in the treatment of Capgras Syndrome: a case report

Abstract

Capgras Syndrome is a delusion characterized by the patient's belief that his or her relatives (or close friends) have been replaced by impostors who have a close resemblance to the originals. Here we describe the clinical picture and the therapeutic approach to a 41-year-old, divorced, Caucasian female with acute delusions and problematic behavior. Treatment with olanzapine was initiated, based on its reported efficacy in the treatment of monosymptomatic hypochondriacal psychosis. Our case shows that treatment with olanzapine can lead to a good clinical outcome with a remission of the psychotic symptoms. In our experience, the starting dose should be as low as possible in order to avoid the occurrence of adverse effects (which are often responsible for the dropout). According to the severity of symptoms and the risk to the patient and family, the patient's admission to an inpatient unit should be considered.