Delusions Flashcards
What is delusional disorder? How is it different than frank schizophrenia?
Delusional Disorder involves a crystallized (very focused), single delusion, w/o hallucinations or thought disorders like schizophrenia. Can have normal lives. – Essentially, the patient has one very specific delusion and nothing else.
What is the “Capgras” delusion?
Patient feels someone has been replaced by an imposter.
What is the “Fregoli” delusion?
Delusion that different people are in fact a single person who changes appearance or is in disguise.
What is the delusion that one is a vampire?
Vampirism
What is the delusion that one is a werewolf?
Lycanthropy
What is psychopathic cannibalism?
Antisocial personality, psychopathy, sociopathy, w/ delusions
What is folie a deux/shared delusion disorder/zombiesm? What somatic disorder can also be shared?
Syndrome in which symptoms of a delusional belief are transmitted from one individual to another. Conversion disorder can be shared too.
What is “Cotard’s” delusion?
The delusion that one is dead/does not exist/is missing organs.
What is “krokodil” ?
Desomorphine – A heroin-like drug that rots flesh and bone.
What is “morgellons/delusional parasitosis” ?
Somatic/paranoid delusion in which the patient believes that he or she is infested with parasites and can see or feel them. Of all of these delusions, this is somewhat common.
What are “erotomanic” delusions? This especially occurs in which patients?
Delusion in which the patient believes that another person is in love with him or her. Especially occurs in schizophrenics, delusional disorder, bipolar mania, other psychosis.
How are delusion disorders treated? What is the assumption being made?
The assumption is that these are psychotic disorders and that these pts have too much mesolimbic dopamine. Antipsychotics: Sometimes effective, oftentimes not. Psychotherapy is needed to help the patients cope, lower anxiety/agitation (especially is antipsychotics fail).
