PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Conversion Disorder”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 703 records · Page 39Linked to original sources

Psychiatric morbidity in seizure patients on a neurodiagnostic monitoring unit.

This study aimed to clarify prevalence and type of psychiatric disorders among 97 consecutive patients with seizures who were admitted for neurodiagnostic monitoring. Of the 97 patients, 33 (34%) had an atypical mood disorder, 21 (22%) had pseudoseizures, and 9 (9%) had other psychiatric disorders, for a total of 63 (65%) in need of psychiatric treatment. Patients with the atypical mood disorder had predominantly depressive symptoms, which occurred intermittently, were associated with episodes of irritability, and alternated with briefer euphoric moods. Anxiety and phobic symptoms occurred less often. The existence of an epilepsy-specific mood disorder is suggested.

Adolescent↗

A reconsideration of psychological specificity in psychosomatic disorders.

In this paper, the author identifies the evolution of the specificity hypothesis in the psychogenesis of psychosomatic illness across the last half century. Specifically identified is the distinction made between the mechanism of conversion and that of vegetative neurosis. Considerable attention is addressed to the personality features thought to be common to all psychosomatic patients and the refinement of this theory over the past 40 years, including the present interest in alexithymia. These concepts are explored in the consideration of a man who sustained two different specific conflictual environmental situations. The author emphasizes that our present formulations lead us to focus on the person with the illness and the processes that lead to that illness in the patient.

Adult↗

Psychosomatic characterization of adjustment disorders in the medical setting: some suggestions for DSM-V.

BACKGROUND: Adjustment disorders have been found to be the most frequent psychiatric diagnosis in the medically ill. Problems have been raised, however, as to their clinical value. The aim of the study was to characterize the psychosomatic features of adjustment disorders. METHODS: One hundred patients with medical illness and a diagnosis of adjustment disorder according to DSM-IV criteria were interviewed according to the Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research (DCPR) system, consisting of 12 clusters. RESULTS: A considerable overlap was shown between adjustment disorders and DCPR clusters related to abnormal illness behavior (health anxiety, tanatophobia, nosophobia and illness denial) (54%), somatization (functional somatic symptoms secondary to a psychiatric disorder, persistent somatization, conversion symptoms and anniversary reaction) (37%) and demoralization (33%). Only 13 of the patients with adjustment disorders did not present any DCPR syndromes. LIMITATIONS: The study is cross-sectional and does not allow to determine the prognostic features of DCPR categorization. CONCLUSION: The clinical information which derives from the concomitant application of the DCPR might improve and make more specific the treatment of patients with adjustment disorders.

Adjustment Disorders↗

Panic disorder associated with gastrointestinal disease: review and hypotheses.

An association between panic disorder and functional gastrointestinal disease has emerged since the introduction of reliable diagnostic criteria, first for psychiatric disorders and more recently for functional gastrointestinal disorders. At the same time, a more rigorous review of methodology of older reports linking structural gastrointestinal diseases such as peptic ulcer and inflammatory bowel disease to psychiatric illness has cast doubt on the validity of their association. In this review original articles reporting an association between panic disorder and globus, functional chest pain of presumed esophageal origin, functional dyspepsia, and irritable bowel syndrome are critically reviewed and it is concluded that panic disorder is overrepresented in noncardiac chest pain and irritable bowel syndrome. Original reports of the prevalence of panic disorder in structural gastrointestinal disease are reviewed and it is concluded that they do not support an association with panic. Hypotheses explaining the statistical link of panic disorder and functional gastrointestinal disease are discussed.

Chest Pain↗

[The patient with psychogenic and psychosomatic pain. Outline of psychoanalytically oriented nosology].

Starting with the contribution of G. L. Engel (1959) a systematization of the psychodynamic conceptions of pain and pain disorder is given. Four different explanations for the genesis and maintenance of pain states are worked out: (1) The narcissistic mechanism (substitution), (2) the conversion mechanism (symbolization), introduced by S. Freud himself, (3) the psychovegative mechanism (resomatization), and (4) learning principles. These four conceptions are presented. Finally concern is expressed as the conceptual range of three of these explanatory principles is thought to cover a relevant range by far not reached by other pain theories more en vogue.

Conversion Disorder↗

Hysteria split asunder.

The authors present the proposed DSM-III classification of the traditional hysterical disorders, i.e., disorders that suggest physical illness but in which psychological factors are judged to be of importance. The use of the DSM-III inclusion and exclusion criteria--physical mechanism explains the symptoms, symptoms are linked to psychological factors, symptom initiation is under voluntary control, and there is an obvious recognizable environmental goal--are discussed in the differential diagnosis of somatoform disorder, factitious disorder, malingering, psychological factors affecting physical condition, and undiagnosed physical illness.

Conversion Disorder↗

The 12 year prognosis of unilateral functional weakness and sensory disturbance.

BACKGROUND: Although the symptoms of unilateral "medically unexplained" or "functional" weakness and sensory disturbance present commonly to neurologists, little is known about their long term prognosis. OBJECTIVE: To determine the long term outcome of functional weakness and sensory disturbance. PATIENTS: A previously assembled cohort of 60 patients seen as inpatients by consultant neurologists in Edinburgh between 1985 and 1992 and diagnosed as having unilateral functional weakness or sensory disturbance. METHODS: Current symptoms, disability, and distress were assessed by postal questionnaire to the patients and their family doctors. RESULTS: Follow up data relating to mortality were obtained in 56 patients (93%) and to current diagnosis in 48 patients (80%). Patient questionnaire data were obtained in 42 patients (70%). The median duration of follow up was 12.5 years (range 9 to 16). Thirty five of the 42 patients (83%) still reported weakness or sensory symptoms, and the majority reported limitation of physical function, distress, and multiple other somatic symptoms. Twenty nine per cent had taken medical retirement. An examination of baseline predictors indicated that patients who had sensory symptoms had better functioning at follow up than those who had weakness. Only one patient had developed a neurological disorder which, in hindsight, explained the original presentation. Another patient had died of unrelated causes. CONCLUSIONS: Many patients assessed by neurologists with unilateral functional weakness and sensory symptoms as inpatients remain symptomatic, distressed, and disabled as long as 12 years after the original diagnosis. These symptoms are only rarely explained by the subsequent development of a recognisable neurological disorder in the long term.

Adult↗

Conversion to dementia from mild cognitive disorder: the Cache County Study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine 3-year rates of conversion to dementia, and risk factors for such conversion, in a population-based sample with diverse types of cognitive impairment. METHODS: All elderly (aged 65 or older) residents of Cache County, UT, were invited to undergo two waves of dementia screening and assessment. Three-year follow-up data were available for 120 participants who had some form of mild cognitive impairment at baseline. Of these, 51 had been classified at baseline with prodromal Alzheimer disease (proAD), and 69 with other cognitive syndromes (CS). RESULTS: Three-year rates of conversion to dementia were 46% among those with cognitive impairment at baseline. By comparison, 3.3% without impairment converted to dementia in the interval. Among converters, AD was the most common type of dementia. In individuals with at least one APOE epsilon4 allele, those with proAD or CS exhibited a 22- to 25-fold higher risk of dementia than cognitively unimpaired individuals (vs 5- to 10-fold higher risk in those without epsilon4). CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with all types of mild cognitive impairment have an elevated risk of dementia over 3 years, more so in those with an APOE epsilon4 allele. These results suggest value in dementia surveillance for broad groups of cognitively impaired individuals beyond any specific category, and utility of APOE genotyping as a prognostic method.

Aged↗

Magnitude of placebo response and drug-placebo differences across psychiatric disorders.

BACKGROUND: Placebo response, drug response, and drug-placebo differences appear to vary among psychiatric conditions. METHOD: We evaluated the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Summary Basis of Approval (SBA) reports to compare the magnitude of placebo response, magnitude of psychotopic drug response, and drug placebo differences among various diagnostic groups such as depression, anxiety, and psychotic disorders. RESULTS: Six diagnostic groups (psychosis, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic) varied in response to both placebo and active drug treatments. Response to placebo was high among patients participating in GAD, depression, and panic disorder clinical trials. Conversely, patients participating in psychotic disorder and OCD trials experienced low response to placebo. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that the magnitude of placebo response and drug response were heterogeneous and were statistically significantly different among various psychiatric disorders. Although a noticeable degree of heterogeneity was detected in the drug-placebo ratio among various disorders, the differences did not reach statistical significance. This finding suggests that placebo use should be continued for newer agents being tested for all of the psychiatric disorders. These findings may help in the development of psychopharmacology trial designs and in the deliberations of ethics committees.

Humans↗

A case of superior laryngeal nerve paresis and psychogenic dysphonia.

A psychogenic voice disorder co-occurred or evolved with the symptoms and signs of unilateral superior laryngeal nerve paresis. We speculated that the former was a manifestation of a musculoskeletal tension or conversion reaction disorder, whereas the latter was a sequela to a self-limiting inflammatory process. Voice therapy proved effective for alleviating the psychogenic dysphonia after the signs of the neuropathy had resolved, whereas psychotherapy offered strategies for stress management. A multidisciplinary approach to this patient provided for differential diagnosis and efficacious treatment.

Adult↗

Long-term results after conversion from cyclosporine to tacrolimus in pediatric liver transplantation for acute and chronic rejection.

UNLABELLED: Tacrolimus is beneficial in liver transplantation for reversing steroid-resistant acute rejection, and for controlling the process of chronic rejection in allograft recipients receiving Cyclosporine- (CyA) based regimens. Very little is known about the long-term efficacy of tacrolimus in pediatric transplantation after conversion from CyA. Our study examines the long-term outcome after conversion to tacrolimus for acute or chronic rejection in pediatric liver transplant (LTx) recipients. METHOD: Seventy-three children (age < 18 years) receiving their primary LTx under CyA between August 1989 and April 1996 were converted to tacrolimus for ongoing acute rejection (n=22, group I) or chronic rejection (n=51, group II). Mean age at the time of conversion was 10.2+/-5.5 years with a mean interval from LTx to conversion of 3.5+/-2.9 (range 0.5-10.1 years). There were 33 boys and 40 girls. All patients were followed until June 1999. Mean follow-up was 97.3+/-17.4 months (range 62.4-118.9 months). RESULTS: Overall 5-year actual patient survival was 78.1% and 8-year actuarial survival was 74.6%. Patients converted to tacrolimus therapy to resolve acute rejection (group I) experience significantly better patient and graft survival at 5 and 8 years than those converted to resolve chronic rejection (group II). Eight-year patient survival and graft survival was 95.5 and 90.9% for group I compared to 74.6 and 53.5% for group II, respectively (long rank P=0.035 and 0.01, respectively). Nearly 75% of children were weaned off steroids after conversion. There was a marked improvement in hypertension, gum hyperplasia, hirsutism, and cushingoid appearance. One child in group I (4.5%) and four children in group II (7.8%) developed posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder after conversion. There was an improvement in growth in children who were less than the age of 12 years at the time of conversion and who were weaned off steroids; more significantly girls responded more favorably than boys. CONCLUSION: The benefit of transplantation is maintained long-term after conversion to tacrolimus for acute or chronic rejection. The response rate was significantly better in group I as compared with group 11. Marked improvement in growth, hypertension, and reversal of the brutalizing effects of CyA was noted after conversion to tacrolimus. The results suggest that early conversion of pediatric liver transplant patients is warranted for the treatment of acute and chronic rejection, and for improvements in quality of life.

Adolescent↗

Nonepileptic seizures.

A review of the literature on epileptic seizures (NES) is presented, a common clinical entity that can be reliably diagnosed if suggestion and video-EEG monitoring are combined with an appreciation of the phenomenology of epileptic and nonepileptic events. Axis I psychiatric disorders with symptoms such as anxiety or dissociation should be considered in the differential diagnosis of NES.

Comorbidity↗

Gelatinase in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis and other inflammatory neurological disorders.

A substrate conversion assay was used to detect gelatinase activity in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with various neurological disorders. Two main forms of gelatinase with an apparent molecular mass of 65 and 85 kDa, respectively, could be discerned. The high molecular mass gelatinase was detectable only in samples of patients with multiple sclerosis or other inflammatory neurological disorders. A statistically significant correlation was found between the level of the 85-kDa gelatinase and the CSF cytosis. This protease could play a role in the process of demyelination and breakdown of the blood-brain barrier in certain neurological disorders, such as multiple sclerosis.

Adult↗