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 classified according to the presence or absence of CS.
Subjects: One hundred and fifty-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 significant 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.
Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.