Introduction. Capgras syndrome is characterised by the belief that a significant other has been replaced by an identical-looking impostor. These patients have no difficulties with visual recognition but fail to show a skin conductance response (SCR) to the objects of the delusion. A case of Capgras delusion (YY), specifically characterised by the absence of brain lesions, constituted a good opportunity to test the relationship between SCR hyporesponsiveness and eye movement patterns to familiar and unfamiliar faces. Methods. Visual scan path and SCR were recorded for YY and 8 controls during the presentation of family members’ photographs matched with unfamiliar faces of the same sex, age, and physical likeness. Eye movement patterns were explored by selecting three specific areas of interest (AOI) involving the eyes, the mouth, and the face regions. Results. In contrast with controls, YY showed a reduction in number and sum of fixation durations to the eyes (p<.01) and no differential SCRs (p>.05) to familiar vs. nonfamiliar faces. SCR and fixation duration to family members’ eyes were significantly correlated (r=.77) in both YY and controls. Conclusions. Eye region exploration seems to be related to the autonomic reactivity elicited by the affective valence of familiar faces.

Despite their ascertained neurobiological origin, specific learning disorders (SLD) often have been found to be associated with some emotional disturbances in children, and there is growing interest in the environmental and contextual variables that may modulate children’s developmental trajectories. The present study was aimed at evaluating the psychological profile of parents and children and the relationships between their measures. Parents of children with SLD (17 couples, 34 participants) and parents of children with typical development (17 couples, 34 participants) were administered questionnaires assessing parenting styles, reading history, parenting stress, psychopathological indexes, and evaluations of children’s anxiety and depression. Children (N = 34, 10.7 ± 1.2 years) were assessed with self-evaluation questionnaires on anxiety, depression, and self-esteem and with a scale assessing their perception of parents’ qualities. Results showed that parents of children with SLD have higher parental distress, poorer reading history, and different parenting styles compared to parents of children with TD; there were no differences in psychopathological indexes. The SLD group also rated their children as more anxious and depressed. Children with SLD had lower scholastic and interpersonal self-esteem, but they report ratings of parents’ qualities similar to those of TD children. Relationships between parents’ and children’s measures were further explored. Implications for research and practice are discussed.