1. The document discusses an optional assignment to analyze observations from a TED Talk about Capgras Delusion, a rare condition where people believe friends or family have been replaced by impostors. 2. The assignment asks students to analyze observations from neurologist Vilayanur Ramachandran's talk, draw conclusions, and develop counterarguments. It also asks them to create flowcharts of the theorized neural pathways. 3. The document includes flowcharts of the normal facial recognition process and Ramachandran's theory of the process for Capgras Delusion patients, which involves a disconnect between the fusiform gyrus and amygdala.

1. .ABHINASH PALAI .MANISH TEKAM .SATVIKA B .RAJIV RATHORE .ABHISHEK DAS
Optional Assignment
Capgras Delusion
In the assignment, we were asked to watch the TED Talk by Vilayanur S. Ramachandran, a renowned neurologist,
and psychoanalyst about a rare condition called Capgras Delusion, and analyse the observations,and the
observational generalisatons, and build a few counter arguments based on them. We were also to draw a
flowchart of the neural pathways as theorized by Ramachandran.
Experimental methods used:
Observations by Ramachandran:

2. .ABHINASH PALAI .MANISH TEKAM .SATVIKA B .RAJIV RATHORE .ABHISHEK DAS
Observational Generalisations:
Counterpoints:

3. .ABHINASH PALAI .MANISH TEKAM .SATVIKA B .RAJIV RATHORE .ABHISHEK DAS
For normal humans the process of facial
recognition happens according to this
flowchart.
EYES
AUTONOMIC
NERVOUS SYSTEM
FUSIFORM
GYRUS
Cortex of
occipital lobes
AMYGDALA

4. .ABHINASH PALAI .MANISH TEKAM .SATVIKA B .RAJIV RATHORE .ABHISHEK DAS
For patients of Capgras Delusion; the process of
facial recognition works this way (Acc. To
Ramachandran):
EYES
AUTONOMIC
NERVOUS SYSTEM
FUSIFORM
GYRUS
Cortex of
occipital lobes
AMYGDALA

5. .ABHINASH PALAI .MANISH TEKAM .SATVIKA B .RAJIV RATHORE .ABHISHEK DAS
Ramachandran VS. Phantoms in the Brain, Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mind. Harper Collins; 1999.
http://phantomself.org/questioning-capgras-2/ :. Accessed November 22, 2014.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Eye. Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye. Accessed November 22,
2014].
Available at: http://www.ted.com/talks/vilayanur_ramachandran_on_your_mind. Accessed November 22,
2014.
* According to one of the cases stated by Ramachandran sometimes Capgras patients think
their dogs to be impostors as well.