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Reflections of the Self: Atypical Misidentification and Delusional Syndromes in Two Patients with Alzheimer's Disease

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Susan E. Molchan ,
Rick A. Martinez ,
Brian A. Lawlor ,
Jordan H. Grafman  and
Trey Sunderland
Susan E. Molchan*
Affiliation:
Geriatric Psychopharmacology, Laboratory of Clinical Science, Unit of National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
Rick A. Martinez
Affiliation:
Unit of Geriatric Psychopharmacology, Bethesda
Brian A. Lawlor
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York
Jordan H. Grafman
Affiliation:
Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Medical Neurology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda
Trey Sunderland
Affiliation:
Unit of Geriatric Psychopharmacology
*
∗NIH Clinical Health Centre, 10–3D41, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Abstract

Two patients with moderately severe AD, when asked directly, could identify their own images in a mirror, but also consistently misidentified their own reflections as that of another person. Both patients were paranoid and mildy depressed at times, but had no evidence of other concurrent psychotic symptoms. It appeared that mood substantially modified the nature of the symptom and the patients' reaction to it over time. These cases illustrate the ability of an organic symptom to be modified by a concurrent affective state, indicating the importance of the interaction between biological and psychological factors in the expression of such symptoms.

Type
Brief Reports
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 157 , Issue 4 , October 1990 , pp. 605 - 608
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1990 

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Footnotes

SEM is a US Government employee, and as such this material is in the public domain and cannot be copyrighted.

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