Related Experiment Videos
[Conversion disorders. From neurobiology to treatment]
C Schönfeldt-Lecuona1, B J Connemann, A Höse
1Abteilung Psychiatrie III, Universitätsklinik Ulm, Ulm. carlos.schoenfeldt@medizin.uni-ulm.de
Der Nervenarzt
|August 10, 2004
Summary
This study reviews conversion disorders, which present physical symptoms without a clear organic cause. Research, including neuroimaging, challenges the strict separation between psychological and physical origins of these conditions.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Neurology
- Psychosomatic Medicine
Background:
- Diagnostic systems like ICD-10 and DSM-IV classify disorders with physical symptoms lacking organic correlates, historically termed hysteria.
- These classifications, similar to psychoanalytic theories, suggest preceding psychological conflict but are primarily descriptive.
- The exact causes of these disorders remain poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize current knowledge on the clinical and epidemiological aspects of conversion disorders.
- To explore the potential neuronal mechanisms underlying conversion disorders through functional neuroimaging.
- To critically examine the traditional dichotomy between organic and psychogenic diseases.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing clinical and epidemiological studies on conversion disorders.
- Analysis of findings from functional neuroimaging studies investigating conversion disorders.
- Synthesis of current understanding regarding the etiology and diagnostic classification of these disorders.
Main Results:
- Conversion disorders are characterized by physical symptoms without identifiable organic causes.
- Functional neuroimaging studies, though limited, offer insights into the neural underpinnings of these conditions.
- Emerging evidence questions the validity of a strict organic versus psychogenic disease distinction.
Conclusions:
- The etiology of conversion disorders requires further investigation.
- Neuroimaging provides a valuable tool for exploring the neurobiological basis of conversion disorders.
- A more integrated understanding of mind-body interactions is needed to overcome the traditional organic-psychogenic dichotomy.