It's a delusion where the person/patient believes in the existence of a identical "double" of a friend, wife, husband, brother, sister or any close relatives or even of the person himself/herself.

That means, person having this syndrome thinks that his best friend Mike is not actually Mike rather it's Mike's double (as an example). That's why it's also known as 'illusion of doubles'.

It can be caused from a brain injury or from any other neurodegenerative disease. It can start even from illicit drug use.

Capgras syndrome is named after the French psychiatrist Joseph Capgras (1873–1950) who first described the disorder in 1923.


Read also:

Capgras syndrome and its relationship to neurodegenerative disease

Capgras delusion