•INTERNET DELUSION' RESPONSIVE TO COGNITIVE THERAPY (Kobayashi et al., 2001). Another hypothesis is that these patients are threatened by the newer scientific technologies which compounded by their ignorance about them magnifies the fear which takes the form of a delusion (Catalano et al., 1999). Whatever be the genesis of these delusions, the fact that these are transitory in nature and thus carry a good prognosis is reflected by the their resolution upon pharmacological intervention in earlier cases and to psychotherapy in our case. The noticeable feature of our patient was the dramatic response to cognitive therapy. Reality testing by way of collaborative empiricism is considered under the purview of cognitive therapy (Alford & Beck, 1994) and has been effective in modifying delusions in some patients with schizophrenia (Chadwick & Lowe, 1990). Ignorance about the Internet may, in part, be responsible for the lesser systematization of this delusional theme, which made this patient more amenable to cognitive intervention. The role of clozapine in ameliorating the Internet delusion in our patient cannot be denied. However, the fact that his other symptoms such as somatic passivity and auditory and olfactory hallucinations did not show any significant change while the Internet delusion completely disappeared following the CT while being on the same dose of clozapine points more in favour of a specific role for the latter. In conclusion, given the widespread use of the Internet, the psychiatrists will more frequently encounter patients harbouring delusions about the Internet. An observation of significant clinical import is the fact that one need not be a computer- literate to develop these delusions and, therefore, a clinician should inquire about them in less literate people as well. Finally, in addition to pharmacology, CT also holds promise for modifying such delusions. In a recent article, Turkington & Kingdon (2000) demonstrate the effective use of brief, focused, technique-oriented approaches for psychotic patients by the general psychiatrists. Future research employing the combined use of atypical antipsychotics and CT in treatment-resistant cases is encouraged. REFERENCES Alford.BA. & Beck,A.T. (1994) Cognitive therapy of delusional beliefs. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 32, 369-380. BelsareJ.J., Gaffney, G.R. & Black.D.W. (1997) Compulsive computer use. American Journal of Psychiatry, 54, 289. Catalano,G., Catalano,M.C., Embi , C.S. & Frankel.R.L. (1999) Delusions about the Internet. Southern Medical Journal, 92, 609- 610. Catalano,G. & Catalano,M.C. (2000) Social events and scientific innovations may affect content of delusions [reply]. Southern Medical Journal, 93,441. Chadwick,P.D.J. & Lowe.C.F. (1990) Measurement and modification of delusional beliefs. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 58,225-232. Huang,M.P. & Alessi.N.E. (1996) The Internet and the future of psychiatry. American Journal of Psychiatry, 153, 861-869. Kingdon.D.G. & Turkington.D. (1994) Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy of Schizophrenia, New York: Guilford. Kobayashi.T, Okada.Y., Nisijima.K. & Kato.S. (2001) "Internet delusion" in a patient with a schizoaffective disorder. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 46, 89-90. Podoll.K., Habermeyer.E., Noller.B., Elbel.H. & Sass.H. (2000) The Internet as a delusional topic in paranoid schizophrenia. Nervenarzt, 71, 912-914. Sher, L. (2000) Social events and scientific innovations may affect content of delusions. 295