SummaryAim: The purpose of this study was to attempt to apply a two-factor diagnostic model for delusional content qualification. Method: This is a case study of a patient with a history of ischaemic stroke who developed delusional beliefs.
Results:The two-factor diagnostic model has shown promising applicability in the case analysed, however, guidance is provided on the need to expand and change some of the criteria with the possibility of complementing the model with elements from neurobiological models.
Conclusions:The case analysis allowed us to point out the strengths and weaknesses of the diagnostic model discussed. We propose that strictly neurobiological diagnostic categories should be replaced by those that allow the diagnosis of cognitive deficits. We also hypothesise that problems with inference, as one of the main factors contributing to delusions, should not be analysed only in terms of the damage to the right hemisphere.
delusions / delusional models / diagnostic clues / case studyThis article analyses the usefulness of several models of delusions described in the literature in the diagnostic process of a patient with a history of ischaemic stroke affecting the right hemisphere. Previous studies hypothesised on the process of delusional content formation and verified the delusional contents using available diagnostic procedures. Creating models to explain how certain disorders develop has two main advantages: it shows how a specific disorder forms and indicates the main types of factors involved in this process. Thus, it enables a better understanding of the essence of the disorder and helps formulate diagnostic guidelines.Models of this type can have various forms: from a simple presentation of a causal relationship between a factor and a disorder to complex, multifactorial network models, in which each element can potentially interact with the other. The task of theoretical models of delusions will be to indicate the main factors necessary for the emergence of delusional beliefs and to describe the dynamics of the process leading from these factors to delusion formation. The need to create such models primarily stems from a strong internal differentiation within the category of beliefs determined as delusions. Due to this heterogeneity, it is diagnostically interesting to identify and differentiate such factors depending on the contents of delusions.