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On the Distinction between Monothematic and Polythematic Delusions
Author(s) -
Coltheart Max
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
mind and language
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.905
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1468-0017
pISSN - 0268-1064
DOI - 10.1111/mila.12011
Subject(s) - delusion , psychology , sketch , variety (cybernetics) , neuropsychology , cognitive psychology , theme (computing) , epistemology , cognition , psychiatry , philosophy , computer science , operating system , algorithm , artificial intelligence
Some delusional patients exhibit only a single delusional belief (or several delusional beliefs concerning a single theme): this is monothematic delusion. It contrasts with polythematic delusion, where the patient exhibits a variety of delusions concerning a variety of different themes. The neuropsychological bases of various monothematic delusions are rather well understood, and there is a well‐worked‐out general neuropsychological theory of monothematic delusion, the two‐factor theory. Whether polythematic delusion might be explained in a similar way is an open question: I sketch some possible ways in which a comparable two‐factor account might be developed for polythematic (‘psychiatric’) delusional conditions such as delusions of reference.