The impact of early trauma and recent life-events on symptom severity in patients with conversion disorder.

Although the presence of psychological stress factors in the evolution of conversion symptoms forms an important criterion for the DSM-IV diagnosis of conversion disorder, little is known about the nature and timing of these stress factors. Fifty-four patients with conversion disorder and 50 control patients with an affective disorder were screened for life events experienced in the year before the symptom onset. Conversion patients did not differ from control patients in the number or severity of life events, but showed a significant relation between the recent life events and the severity of conversion symptoms.

A randomized controlled clinical trial of a hypnosis-based treatment for patients with conversion disorder, motor type.

This study tested whether a hypnosis-based intervention showed promise as a treatment for patients with conversion disorder, motor type. Forty-four outpatients with conversion disorder, motor type, or somatization disorder with motor conversion symptoms, were randomly assigned to a hypnosis or a waiting-list condition. The hypnosis-condition patients were more improved relative to baseline and the waiting-list controls.

Childhood abuse in patients with conversion disorder.

Objective: Despite the fact that the assumption of a relationship between conversion disorder and childhood traumatization has a long history, there is little empirical evidence to support this premise. The present study examined this relation and investigated whether hypnotic susceptibility mediates the relation between trauma and conversion symptoms, as suggested by Janet's autohypnosis theory of conversion disorder.

Method: A total of 54 patients with conversion disorder and 50 matched comparison patients with an affective disorder were administered the Structured Trauma Interview as well as measures of cognitive (Dissociative Experiences Scale) and somatoform (20-item Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire) dissociative experiences.

Hypnotic susceptibility in patients with conversion disorder.

Conversion disorder has been associated with hypnotic susceptibility for over a century and is currently still believed to be a form of autohypnosis. There is, however, little empirical evidence for the relation between hypnotic susceptibility and conversion symptoms. The authors compared 50 patients with conversion disorder with 50 matched control patients with an affective disorder on measures of hypnotic susceptibility, cognitive dissociation, and somatoform dissociation.

A randomised controlled clinical trial on the additional effect of hypnosis in a comprehensive treatment programme for in-patients with conversion disorder of the motor type.

Background: The primary aim of this study was threefold: (1) to examine the additional effects of hypnosis aimed at symptom reduction, using symptom-oriented and expression- and insight-oriented techniques in a comprehensive clinical treatment programme for in-patients with a persistent conversion disorder of the motor type; (2) to assess whether the level of hypnotisability was predictive of treatment outcome, and (3) to explore the efficacy of the total clinical treatment programme.

Methods: The study population consisted of 45 in-patients between 18 and 65 years of age meeting the DSM-III-R criteria for conversion disorder of the motor type or somatisation disorder with motor conversion symptoms. A randomised controlled clinical trial was undertaken.