Prevalence of Capgras syndrome in Alzheimer’s patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The association between Capgras syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease has been reported in several studies, but its prevalence varies considerably in the literature, making it difficult to measure and manage this condition. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to estimate the prevalence of Capgras syndrome in patients with Alzheimer’s disease through a systematic review, and to review etiological and pathophysiological aspects related to the syndrome. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted using the Medline, ISI, Cochrane, Scielo, Lilacs, and Embase databases. Two independent researchers carried out study selection, data extraction, and qualitative analysis by strictly following the same methodology. Disagreements were resolved by consensus. The meta-analysis was performed using the random effect model. RESULTS: 40 studies were identified, 8 of which were included in the present review. Overall, a total of 1,977 patients with Alzheimer’s disease were analyzed, and the prevalence of Capgras syndrome in this group was 6% (CI: 95% I² 54% 4.0-8.0). CONCLUSION: The study found a significant prevalence of Capgras syndrome in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. These findings point to the need for more studies on the topic to improve the management of these patients.