Tactual sensitivity in hypochondriasis

In his article on amplification, somatization and somatoform disorders Barsky [Psychosomatics 1992; 33:28-34] pointed out the importance of studying the perception and processing of somatic and visceral symptoms. Subsequently, it was demonstrated that hypochondriacal patients are not more accurately aware of cardiac activity than a group of non-hypochondriacal patients. Authors concluded that hypochondriacal somatic complaints do not result from an unusually fine discriminative ability to detect normal physiological sensations that non-hypochondriacal patients are unable to perceive. The aim of the present study was to investigate tactual sensitivity to non-painful stimuli in hypochondriacal patients and healthy subjects.

Twenty-seven outpatients with DSM-III-R hypochondriasis and 27 healthy control subjects were compared. In all subjects the two-point discrimination threshold was measured, as well as subjective sensitivity to harmless bodily sensations as measured by the Somatosensory Amplification Scale.

It was found that hypochondriacal patients reported more distress and discomfort with benign bodily sensations. The two-point discrimination threshold of hypochondriacal patients was not significantly lower in patients as compared to controls.

Hypochondriacal subjects considered themselves more sensitive to benign bodily sensations without being better able to discriminate between two tactual bodily signals. These findings of the present study correspond quite closely to those reported earlier.