Fregoli's syndrome is a mental disorder characterized by the presence of an absurd delusion. The patient claims that all people are really one person who constantly changes their appearance. What are the causes and other symptoms of Fregoli syndrome? How is the patient treated?
Fregoli's syndromeis a very rare mental disorder that belongs to the so-calleddelusionalsyndromemisidentification (delusional misidentification syndrome - DMS) - a group of associative delusional disorders. A patient struggling with this type of disorder claims that people, objects or places around him have lost or changed their identity. In the case of Fregiloy's syndrome, the patient is convinced that all people are one and the same person (usually well-known to the patient) who constantly changes their appearance. Despite the logical justification of the falsehood of these beliefs, they are not susceptible to any attempts to persuade them.
The name of the disease comes from the name of an Italian actor - Leopoldo Fregoli. He was famous for changing his image frequently during his theatrical performances. The disease was first diagnosed in 1927 in a 27-year-old woman. She insisted that she was persecuted by two men who took the form of different people.
Fregoli syndrome - causes
It is believed that the cause of Fregoli's syndrome is disturbances in the central nervous system. Delusions of such absurd content can develop, among others in people diagnosed with a pituitary tumor, as well as those infected with HIV or syphilis. In the late stage of syphilis, when organic changes occur in the brain, there can be absurd, fantastic delusions. Some researchers argue that this type of delusion may appear in the course of diabetes, high blood pressure, hypothyroidism and poisoning, e.g. with disulfiram (a drug used to treat alcoholism). Symptoms of Fregoli's syndrome are also observed in people suffering from schizophrenia and senile dementia.
Fregoli syndrome - symptoms
The sick person persistently claims that all people are the same, well-known person, and the differences in their external appearance result from the fact that the person is still changing clothes. Moreover, the patient developspersecutory delusions . The patient believes that he is being followed, overheard andpeeked at with a hidden camera by a person who takes the form of different people, although there is no logical reason to do so.
How can such delusions actually manifest themselves? Doctors described the case of a 66-year-old woman with symptoms of hypertension who claimed that her cousin and his wife were changing clothes to pretend to be neighbors. They then follow her because they are aware that she knows their secrets. This woman was diagnosed with damage to the right temporal-parietal area, which was probably the cause of mental disorders.
Fregoli syndrome - treatment
Unfortunately, no effective treatment for this disorder has yet been developed. The therapy usually consists of administering antipsychotic drugs and meetings with a psychotherapist (if the disease is not caused by organic disorders of the brain).