Related Experiment Videos
Medically unexplained symptoms and neuropsychological assessment
Laurence M Binder1, Keith A Campbell
1Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, OR, USA. pdxlarry@aol.com
Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology
|October 30, 2004
Summary
Many somatic illnesses lack clear origins and involve neuropsychological symptoms. These conditions, like fibromyalgia and nonepileptic seizures, may stem from complex biological and psychological interactions, not traditional neurological disease.
Area of Science:
- Medical Science
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Review of somatic illnesses with unclear pathophysiological origins and neuropsychological complaints.
- Includes conditions such as nonepileptic seizures, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and others.
- Highlights the association with objective cognitive abnormalities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review illnesses with somatic expressions and neuropsychological complaints.
- To explore the potential origins of cognitive abnormalities in these conditions.
- To examine the interplay between biological and psychological factors.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of medically unexplained symptoms.
- Analysis of conditions like nonepileptic seizures as models for medically unexplained symptoms.
- Examination of the impact of stressors and PTSD on physiological and cognitive functions.
Main Results:
- Cognitive abnormalities in these illnesses are likely due to complex biological and psychological interactions.
- Nonepileptic seizures demonstrate cognitive abnormalities without neurological origin.
- Stressors and PTSD can influence immune, neurochemical, and disease processes, blurring etiological distinctions.
Conclusions:
- Medically unexplained symptoms may arise from a complex interplay of biological and psychological factors.
- The distinction between psychological and organic etiologies is often blurred.
- Patient history-taking challenges can exacerbate diagnostic difficulties.