a *Schneiderian first-rank symptom in which a person believes that a normal percept (product of perception) has a special meaning for him or her. For example, a cloud in the sky may be misinterpreted as meaning that someone has sent that person a message to save the world. While the symptom is particularly indicative of *schizophrenia, it also occurs in other psychoses, including *mania (in which it often has grandiose undertones).
The interpretation of a sensation. Information is received through the 5 senses (taste, smell, hearing, vision, and touch) and organized into a pattern by the brain. Factors such as attitude, mood, and expectations affect the final interpretation. Hallucinations are false perceptions that occur in the absence of sensory stimuli.... perception
a *monodelusional disorder in which patients believe they or their environment are infested by living or non-living pathogens. These can range from rats in the patient’s house to microspores in the air. Most commonly, patients claim they are infested with insects, worms, parasites, mites, or inanimate threads or fibres, often underneath their skin. Many present the alleged parasite as a specimen for examination. If compliance can be established, most patients respond well to *antipsychotic medication. The term delusional infestation was first introduced by Roland W. Freudenmann and Peter Lepping in 2009, and has gradually superseded the terms delusional parasitosis and Ekbom’s syndrome.... delusional infestation
the intensity with which a delusional belief is held. This can vary over time and sometimes shifts quite rapidly. Some factors, such as treatment, may temporarily or permanently reduce the intensity of a delusion, while others may work to reinforce it.... delusional intensity
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