Fregoli Syndrome

Fregoli syndrome is a type of misidentification syndrome that makes people believe things are happening although they aren’t real.

Fregoli syndrome

Fregoli syndrome makes the person think that strange people around them are actually people they know but changed their appearance to hide their identity. This occurs due to a problem in the brain that makes it struggle with identifying people.

Generally, Fregoli syndrome and other types of delusional disorders aren’t common.

Causes of Fregoli syndrome

The reason behind Fregoli syndrome is still unknown, but it’s thought that it occurs due to the following factors:

• Traumatic brain injuries that affect the parts of the brain that are responsible for recognizing people.
• Certain medications, like levodopa, which is used to manage Parkinson’s disease.
• Fregoli delusion can also occur alongside other conditions, such as dementia and schizophrenia.

Symptoms of Fregoli syndrome

• A patient with Fregoli syndrome thinks that a familiar person changes how they look in order to follow them, deceive them, or harm them.
• Adding to that, Fregoli syndrome can cause other symptoms, such as mild cognitive impairment, memory loss, hallucinations, and difficulty sleeping.
• Fregoli syndrome can greatly affect the patient’s mental health and emotional well-being.

Diagnosis of Fregoli syndrome

• Psychological evaluation.
• Imaging tests.

Treatment of Fregoli syndrome

• Psychotherapy.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy.
• Medications.