Sexual offences and forensic psychiatry: Capgras syndrome: practice question

A Forensic Medicine question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Forensic Medicine · Sexual offences and forensic psychiatry: Capgras syndrome

Sample item

A 52-year-old man with paranoid schizophrenia insists that his wife has been replaced by an identical impostor, although she looks and sounds exactly the same. Which delusional syndrome is this?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. Capgras syndrome

Capgras syndrome is the delusion that a familiar person has been replaced by a double. Fregoli is the belief that different people are one persecutor in disguise, Cotard is a nihilistic belief that one is dead, and Othello is delusional jealousy.

Option by option

  • A. Cotard syndrome

    Cotard is a nihilistic delusion that one's body or self no longer exists.

  • B. Othello syndrome

    Othello is delusional belief in the partner's infidelity.

  • C. Capgras syndrome (correct)

    Correct. A delusion of a double replacing a familiar person is Capgras.

  • D. Fregoli syndrome

    Fregoli is a persecutor believed to be disguised as various people.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is C, Capgras syndrome. Capgras syndrome is the delusion that a familiar person has been replaced by a double.

Why is "Cotard syndrome" not the answer?

Cotard is a nihilistic delusion that one's body or self no longer exists.

Why is "Othello syndrome" not the answer?

Othello is delusional belief in the partner's infidelity.

Why is "Fregoli syndrome" not the answer?

Fregoli is a persecutor believed to be disguised as various people.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Sexual offences and forensic psychiatry: Capgras syndrome in Forensic Medicine. Fregoli is the belief that different people are one persecutor in disguise, Cotard is a nihilistic belief that one is dead, and Othello is delusional jealousy.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Sexual offences and forensic psychiatry: Capgras syndrome?

Learn postmortem changes with their timelines, and toxicology as poison, sign, test and antidote. Then use the flashcards and the other Forensic Medicine questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.