Capgras Syndrome

Capgras syndrome is a delusion where a person recognizes a loved one’s appearance but feels they are an impostor.

Why does recognition without feeling become impostor delusion?

The recognition pathway fires normally, but the emotional-familiarity pathway doesn’t. Without that signal, the brain confabulates: it must not really be her.

An inverse of Prosopagnosia:

• Prosopagnosics can’t recognize faces they know
• Capgras patients recognize faces but don’t feel that they know them