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Published on: November 6, 2017
A Contagious Disorder: Folie à Deux and Dementia
Gabriele Cipriani1,2, Noha Abdel-Gawad3, Sabrina Danti1
11 Department of Neurology, Versilia Hospital, Lucca, Italy.
Insights
Folie à deux, a shared psychotic disorder, infrequently involves dementia patients. Clinicians must recognize this syndrome
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
Background:
- Folie à deux is a rare psychotic disorder characterized by shared delusions between closely associated individuals.
- First described in the 19th century, its occurrence in patients with dementia is infrequently reported.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the nosological significance of folie à deux.
- To explore the manifestation and implications of folie à deux among patients diagnosed with dementia.
Main Methods:
- Conducted comprehensive literature searches of Medline and Google Scholar databases.
- Utilized search terms including 'dementia', 'folie à deux', 'induced delusional disorder', 'neurocognitive disorders', and 'shared psychotic disorder'.
- Reviewed relevant articles, chapters, and books published prior to 2017, including cited references.
Main Results:
- Cases of folie à deux involving dementia patients are reported infrequently in the literature.
- Existing studies predominantly consist of case reports detailing this specific comorbidity.
Conclusions:
- Clinicians must maintain a high index of suspicion for folie à deux in patients with dementia.
- Recognizing this shared psychotic disorder is crucial due to the potential high risks associated with its presentation in this vulnerable population.
Background:
Folie à deux is a clinical condition that was first described in 19th century. It is a psychotic disorder in which two closely associated individuals share a similar delusional system.
Objectives:
The aim of this article is to review the nosological significance of folie à deux and to explore the disorder among patients with dementia.
Methods:
Medline and Google Scholar searches were conducted for relevant articles, chapters, and books published before 2017. Search terms used included dementia, folie à deux, induced delusional disorder, neurocognitive disorders, shared psychotic disorder. Publications found through this indexed search were reviewed for further relevant references.
Results And Conclusion:
Cases of Folie à deux involving patients with dementia are reported quite infrequently. Most of the studies on the topic consist in case reports. Clinicians are obliged to treat the disorder. They should be alert to the potential high risk inherent this psychotic syndrome.
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