Everything in its right place: a case report of reduplicative paramnesia with therapeutic and theoretical considerations

• Published in: Cognitive neuropsychiatry Vol. 29; no. 1; pp. 41 - 54
• Main Authors: Green, Huw, Seiler, Leah, Anwar, Fahim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Routledge 02-01-2024; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: delusions; Reduplicative paramnesia; two factor theory; delusions; two factor theory; Reduplicative paramnesia
• ISSN: 1354-6805; 1464-0619
• DOI: 10.1080/13546805.2024.2313463

Introductions: Reduplicative paramnesia (RP) is a rare and poorly understood phenomenon in which a person believes the place they are in has been replicated and exists in two places at once. There is minimal extant theoretical work addressing possible cognitive mechanisms subtending RP.
Method: We present a new case of RP and discuss the therapeutic and theoretical implications of this case for the management and understanding of this phenomenon. Using the hypothetico-deductive approach to a neuropsychological case, we examine the phenomenon in the light of one and two-factor approaches to understanding the genesis of delusions.
Results: The individual discussed in this case showed some evidence of relatively efficient incorporation of new evidence (belief updating) despite concurrently maintaining a delusional belief system.
Conclusion: This case raises novel challenges for the two-factor account of neurological delusions.