Conversion disorder: A systematic review of current terminology

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Psychiatry
• Medical Terminology

Background:

• The label for unexplained neurological symptoms, such as conversion disorder, impacts patient acceptance.
• Debate exists regarding changing the terminology for conversion disorder.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review existing studies on layperson and clinician preferences for terminology related to conversion disorder.
• To assess the suitability of different terms for unexplained neurological symptoms.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across multiple databases.
• Keywords included "conversion disorder" and "terminology" to identify relevant studies.
• Data on term preferences were extracted from selected articles.

Main Results:

• Seven studies examining clinician and layperson preferences were identified.
• Neurologists favored "functional" and "psychogenic"; laypeople preferred "functional" but found "psychogenic" offensive.
• "Non-epileptic/organic" was well-received by both groups.

Conclusions:

• "Functional" is a widely accepted term among clinicians and the public for unexplained neurological symptoms.
• While "functional" meets many criteria for an acceptable label, patient and psychiatrist views were not included in this review.