1
|
Chesterfield A, Harvey J, Hendrie C, Wilkinson S, Vera San Juan N, Bell V. Meaning and role of functional-organic distinction: a study of clinicians in psychiatry and neurology services. MEDICAL HUMANITIES 2024; 50:170-178. [PMID: 37968099 DOI: 10.1136/medhum-2023-012667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
The functional-organic distinction attempts to differentiate disorders with diagnosable biological causes from those without and is a central axis on which diagnoses, medical specialities and services are organised. Previous studies report poor agreement between clinicians regarding the meanings of the terms and the conditions to which they apply, as well as noting value-laden implications of relevant diagnoses. Consequently, we aimed to understand how clinicians working in psychiatry and neurology services navigate the functional-organic distinction in their work. Twenty clinicians (10 physicians, 10 psychologists) working in psychiatry and neurology services participated in semistructured interviews that were analysed applying a constructivist grounded theory approach. The distinction was described as often incongruent with how clinicians conceptualise patients' problems. Organic factors were considered to be objective, unambiguously identifiable and clearly causative, whereas functional causes were invisible and to be hypothesised through thinking and conversation. Contextual factors-including cultural assumptions, service demands, patient needs and colleagues' views-were key in how the distinction was deployed in practice. The distinction was considered theoretically unsatisfactory, eventually to be superseded, but clinical decision making required it to be used strategically. These uses included helping communicate medical problems, navigating services, hiding meaning by making psychological explanations more palatable, tackling stigma, giving hope, and giving access to illness identity. Clinicians cited moral issues at both individual and societal levels as integral to the conceptual basis and deployment of the functional-organic distinction and described actively navigating these as part of their work. There was a considerable distance between the status of the functional-organic distinction as a sound theoretical concept generalisable across conditions and its role as a gatekeeping tool within the structures of healthcare. Ambiguity and contradictions were considered as both obstacles and benefits when deployed in practice and strategic considerations were important in deciding which to lean on.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alice Chesterfield
- Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jordan Harvey
- Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Callum Hendrie
- Community Support Work Service, Headway East London, London, UK
| | - Sam Wilkinson
- Dept of Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology, Exeter University, London, UK
| | - Norha Vera San Juan
- Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Vaughan Bell
- Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bratanov C, Hot P, Vercueil L. The natural history of terms describing functional (neurological) disorders in the medical literature of the last 60 years. J Neurol 2023; 270:2010-2017. [PMID: 36547718 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-022-11526-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Functional neurological disorders (FND), a subtype of functional disorders (FD), are a frequent motive for neurology referrals. The various presentations and the unknown physiopathology of FD have led to the multiplication of terms describing these disorders over the years. METHODS We examined the FD-related articles published from 1960 to 2020 in PubMed and PsycINFO databases. We searched for: psychogenic, somatization, somatoform, medically unexplained symptoms, hysteria, conversion disorder, dissociative, functional neurological disorder, and functional disorder. Use rates in the title, abstract, keyword, or MeSH fields were collected over successive 5-year periods. After correcting for off-topic results, we examined proportional distribution over time, term associations, and disciplinary fields (neurology and psychiatry). Term impact was estimated via H-index and number of citations. RESULTS We found that none of the terms is prevailing in the recent medical literature. We observed three trends in the use rates: stability, increase, and decrease of use over time. While most of the terms were present in a stable proportion of the publications, hysteria and psychogenic lost popularity over time. We found a differential preference for terminology between disciplines. Functional neurological disorder showed the highest citation impact, yielding 10% of highly cited publications. CONCLUSION We found a dynamic and evolving use of the different terms describing FD in the last 60 years. Despite the tendency to use the term functional in the recent highly cited publications, its low prevalence and coexistence with several other terms suggest that a precise, explanatory and non-offensive term remains yet to be found.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christo Bratanov
- Neurology Department, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Av. des Maquis du Grésivaudan, La Tronche, 38700, Grenoble, France.
| | - Pascal Hot
- Department of Psychology, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LPNC, Chambéry, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - Laurent Vercueil
- Grenoble Institute Neurosciences, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, 38000, Grenoble, France
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Bell V, Wilkinson S, Greco M, Hendrie C, Mills B, Deeley Q. What is the functional/organic distinction actually doing in psychiatry and neurology? Wellcome Open Res 2020; 5:138. [PMID: 32685699 PMCID: PMC7338913 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16022.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The functional-organic distinction aims to distinguish symptoms, signs, and syndromes that can be explained by diagnosable biological changes, from those that cannot. The distinction is central to clinical practice and is a key organising principle in diagnostic systems. Following a pragmatist approach that examines meaning through use, we examine how the functional-organic distinction is deployed and conceptualised in psychiatry and neurology. We note that the conceptual scope of the terms 'functional' and 'organic' varies considerably by context. Techniques for differentially diagnosing 'functional' and 'organic' diverge in the strength of evidence they produce as a necessary function of the syndrome in question. Clinicians do not agree on the meaning of the terms and report using them strategically. The distinction often relies on an implied model of 'zero sum' causality and encourages classification of syndromes into discrete 'functional' and 'organic' versions. Although this clearly applies in some instances, this is often in contrast to our best scientific understanding of neuropsychiatric disorders as arising from a dynamic interaction between personal, social and neuropathological factors. We also note 'functional' and 'organic' have loaded social meanings, creating the potential for social disempowerment. Given this, we argue for a better understanding of how strategic simplification and complex scientific reality limit each other in neuropsychiatric thinking. We also note that the contribution of people who experience the interaction between 'functional' and 'organic' factors has rarely informed the validity of this distinction and the dilemmas arising from it, and we highlight this as a research priority.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vaughan Bell
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Sam Wilkinson
- Department of Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology, Exeter University, Exeter, UK
| | - Monica Greco
- Department of Sociology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK
| | | | | | - Quinton Deeley
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
O'Leary D. Why Bioethics Should Be Concerned With Medically Unexplained Symptoms. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2018; 18:6-15. [PMID: 29697324 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2018.1445312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Biomedical diagnostic science is a great deal less successful than we've been willing to acknowledge in bioethics, and this fact has far-reaching ethical implications. In this article I consider the surprising prevalence of medically unexplained symptoms, and the term's ambiguous meaning. Then I frame central questions that remain answered in this context with respect to informed consent, autonomy, and truth-telling. Finally, I show that while considerable attention in this area is given to making sure not to provide biological care to patients without a need, comparatively little is given to the competing, ethically central task of making sure never to obstruct access to biological care for those with diagnostically confusing biological conditions. I suggest this problem arises from confusion about the philosophical value of vagueness when it comes to the line between biological and psychosocial needs.
Collapse
|
5
|
Maugest L, McGovern EM, Mazalovic K, Doulazmi M, Apartis E, Anheim M, Bourdain F, Benchetrit E, Czernecki V, Broussolle E, Bonnet C, Falissard B, Jahanshahi M, Vidailhet M, Roze E. Health-Related Quality of Life Is Severely Affected in Primary Orthostatic Tremor. Front Neurol 2018; 8:747. [PMID: 29379467 PMCID: PMC5775514 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2017.00747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 12/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Primary orthostatic tremor (POT) is a movement disorder characterized by unsteadiness upon standing still due to a tremor affecting the legs. It is a gradually progressive condition with limited treatment options. Impairments in health-related quality of life (HQoL) seem to far exceed the physical disability associated with the condition. Methods A multi-center, mixed-methodology study was undertaken to investigate 40 consecutive patients presenting with POT to four movement disorder centers in France. HQoL was investigated using eight quantitative scales and a qualitative study which employed semi-structured interviews. Qualitative data were analyzed with a combination of grounded-theory approach. Results Our results confirm that HQoL in POT is severely affected. Fear of falling was identified as the main predictor of HQoL. The qualitative arm of our study explored our initial results in greater depth and uncovered themes not identified by the quantitative approach. Conclusion Our results illustrate the huge potential of mixed methodology in identifying issues influencing HQoL in POT. Our work paves the way for enhanced patient care and improved HQoL in POT and is paradigmatic of this modern approach for investigating HQoL issues in chronic neurological disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Maugest
- Département de Neurologie, EA 4184, Hôpital universitaire de Dijon, Dijon, France
| | - Eavan M McGovern
- Department of Neurology, St Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.,School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Katia Mazalovic
- Département de Médecine générale, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Mohamed Doulazmi
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR8256, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Adaptation Biologique et Vieillissement, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuelle Apartis
- Département de Neurophysiologie, Hôpital de Saint-Antoine, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Mathieu Anheim
- Département de Neurologie, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Hôpital de Hautepierre, Strasbourg, France.,Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France.,Université de Strasbourg, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg (FMTS), Strasbourg, France
| | - Frédéric Bourdain
- Département de Neurologie, Centre médico-chirurgical Foch, Suresnes, France
| | - Eve Benchetrit
- Département de Neurologie, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Virginie Czernecki
- Département de Neurologie, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuel Broussolle
- Département de Neurologie, Service de Mouvements anormaux, Hôpital Neurologique et Neurochirurgical Pierre Wertheimer, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France.,Université de Lyon, Université Lyon I, Faculté de Médecine Lyon Sud Charles Mérieux, Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, CNRS UMR 5229, Lyon, France
| | - Cecilia Bonnet
- Département de Neurologie, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Bruno Falissard
- CESP, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, INSERM U1178, Paris, France
| | - Marjan Jahanshahi
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, Institute of Neurology, The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marie Vidailhet
- Département de Neurologie, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France.,UMR S 975, CNRS UMR 7225, ICM, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuel Roze
- Département de Neurologie, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France.,UMR S 975, CNRS UMR 7225, ICM, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Ding JM, Kanaan RAA. Conversion disorder: A systematic review of current terminology. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 2017; 45:51-55. [PMID: 28274339 DOI: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2016.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2016] [Revised: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE It has been argued that the label given to unexplained neurological symptoms is an important contributor to their often poor acceptance, and there has been recent debate on proposals to change the name from conversion disorder. There have been multiple studies of layperson and clinician preference and this article aimed to review these. DESIGN Multiple databases were searched using terms including "conversion disorder" and "terminology", and relative preferences for the terms extracted. RESULTS Seven articles were found which looked at clinician or layperson preferences for terminology for unexplained neurological symptoms. Most neurologists favoured terms such as "functional" and "psychogenic", while laypeople were comfortable with "functional" but viewed "psychogenic" as more offensive; "non-epileptic/organic" was relatively popular with both groups. CONCLUSIONS "Functional" is a term that is relatively popular with both clinicians and the public. It also meets more of the other criteria proposed for an acceptable label than other popular terms - however the views of neither psychiatrists nor actual patients with the disorder were considered.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juen Mei Ding
- University of Melbourne, Department of Psychiatry, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia
| | - Richard Antony Alexander Kanaan
- University of Melbourne, Department of Psychiatry, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia; King's College London, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Weston Education Centre, Denmark Hill, London SE5 9RJ, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
What should we say to patients with unexplained neurological symptoms? How explanation affects offence. J Psychosom Res 2016; 91:55-60. [PMID: 27894463 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2016.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2016] [Revised: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Unexplained neurological symptoms (UNS) are common presentations in neurology but there is no consensus as to what they should be called. This is important, as patient acceptance is a predictor of outcome and there is evidence that patients are unhappy with the terms used. Patient understanding of these terms may be limited, however, and, once explained, the terms may seem more or less offensive. We sought to elicit patients' views of 7 frequently used terms for UNS, and whether these changed once definitions were provided. METHODS 185 participants were recruited from a medical outpatients' waiting area. They were given questionnaires outlining a hypothetical situation of leg weakness, with 7 possible labels. Participants were asked whether they endorsed 4 connotations for each label and the "number needed to offend" (NNO) calculated, before and after definitions were given. RESULTS It was found that "functional" was significantly less offensive than other terms used (NNO 17, compared with "Conversion Disorder" NNO 5, p<0.001). Reported understanding of the terms was generally low, however, and many terms became significantly more offensive once definitions were provided. Participants' reported understanding had a significant effect, with low understanding causing terms to be viewed as more offensive after explanation. CONCLUSION Much of the 'offence' in UNS lies not in the terminology but in the meaning those terms carry. This study replicated previous findings that "functional" was less offensive than other terms, even after explanation, but in common with most terms this was partly due to patients' limited understanding of its meaning.
Collapse
|
8
|
Abstract
A woman in the care of the author 40 years ago was reported to have been sleeping for 2 days. We treated her condition as conversion hysteria. Her private psychiatrist was the renowned R. D. Laing; he was unhappy with our line of management, on the grounds of the arbitrariness of the diagnosis, the labelling of the woman with a diagnosis of hysteria and the treatment of the patient without her consent. In retrospect, I wonder if she was in a state of yogic sleep (yoga nidra).
Collapse
|
9
|
Gracely RH, Schweinhardt P. Programmed symptoms: disparate effects united by purpose. Curr Rheumatol Rev 2016; 11:116-30. [PMID: 26088212 PMCID: PMC4997946 DOI: 10.2174/1573397111666150619095125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2015] [Revised: 06/14/2015] [Accepted: 06/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Central sensitivity syndromes (CSS) share features of similar multiple symptoms, virtually unknown mechanisms and lack of effective treatments. The CSS nomenclature was chosen over alternatives because it focused on a putative physiological mechanism of central sensitization common to disorders such as fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, vulvodynia and temporomandibular disorder. Increasing evidence from multiple biological systems suggests a further development. In this new model central sensitization is part of a ensemble that includes also the symptoms of widespread pain, fatigue, unrefreshing sleep and dyscognition. The main feature is an intrinsic program that produces this ensemble to guide behavior to restore normal function in conditions that threaten survival. The well known “illness response” is a classic example that is triggered in response to the specific threat of viral infection. The major leap for this model in the context of CSS is that the symptom complex is not a reactive result of pathology, but a purposeful feeling state enlisted to combat pathology. Once triggered, this state is produced by potential mechanisms that likely include contributions of the peripheral and central immune systems, as well as stress response systems such as the autonomic system and the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. These act in concert to alter behavior in a beneficial direction. This concept explains similar symptoms for many triggering conditions, the poorly understood pathology, and the resistance to treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard H Gracely
- Center for Pain Research and Innovation, Koury Oral Health Sciences, CB #7455, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Kanaan RA, Armstrong D, Wessely S. The role of psychiatrists in diagnosing conversion disorder: a mixed-methods analysis. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2016; 12:1181-4. [PMID: 27274253 PMCID: PMC4869792 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s96330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Since DSM-5 removed the requirement for a psychosocial formulation, neurologists have been able to make the diagnosis of conversion disorder without psychiatric input. We sought to examine whether neurologists and specialist psychiatrists concurred with this approach. DESIGN We used mixed methods, first surveying all the neurologists in the UK and then interviewing the neuropsychiatrists in a large UK region on the role of psychiatrists in diagnosing conversion disorder. RESULTS Of the surveyed neurologists, 76% did not think that psychiatrists were essential for the diagnosis and 71% thought that psychiatrists did not even consider conversion disorder when referred a case. The neuropsychiatrists who were interviewed held complex models of conversion disorder. They believed all cases could be explained psychosocially in theory, but the nature of the diagnostic encounter often prevented it in practice; all felt that psychosocial formulation could be very helpful and some felt that it was essential to diagnosis. CONCLUSION Although neurologists do not think psychiatrists are required for diagnosing conversion disorder, specialist psychiatrists disagree, at least in some cases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard A Kanaan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia; Department of Psychological Medicine, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Weston Education Centre, Denmark Hill, London, UK
| | - David Armstrong
- Department of General Practice, King's College London, Capital House, London, UK
| | - Simon Wessely
- Department of Psychological Medicine, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Weston Education Centre, Denmark Hill, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Ejareh Dar M, Kanaan RA. Uncovering the etiology of conversion disorder: insights from functional neuroimaging. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2016; 12:143-53. [PMID: 26834476 PMCID: PMC4716724 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s65880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Conversion disorder (CD) is a syndrome of neurological symptoms arising without organic cause, arguably in response to emotional stress, but the exact neural substrates of these symptoms and the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood with the hunt for a biological basis afoot for centuries. In the past 15 years, novel insights have been gained with the advent of functional neuroimaging studies in patients suffering from CDs in both motor and nonmotor domains. This review summarizes recent functional neuroimaging studies including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT), and positron emission tomography (PET) to see whether they bring us closer to understanding the etiology of CD. Convergent functional neuroimaging findings suggest alterations in brain circuits that could point to different mechanisms for manifesting functional neurological symptoms, in contrast with feigning or healthy controls. Abnormalities in emotion processing and in emotion-motor processing suggest a diathesis, while differential reactions to certain stressors implicate a specific response to trauma. No comprehensive theory emerges from these clues, and all results remain preliminary, but functional neuroimaging has at least given grounds for hope that a model for CD may soon be found.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Ejareh Dar
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
| | - Richard Aa Kanaan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Fahn S, Olanow CW. "Psychogenic movement disorders": they are what they are. Mov Disord 2014; 29:853-6. [PMID: 24797587 DOI: 10.1002/mds.25899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2014] [Accepted: 04/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Stanley Fahn
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Nicholson TR, Aybek S, Kempton MJ, Daly EM, Murphy DG, David AS, Kanaan RA. A structural MRI study of motor conversion disorder: evidence of reduction in thalamic volume. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2014; 85:227-9. [PMID: 24039028 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2013-305012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate potential abnormalities in subcortical brain structures in conversion disorder (CD) compared with controls using a region of interest (ROI) approach. METHODS Fourteen patients with motor CD were compared with 31 healthy controls using high-resolution MRI scans with an ROI approach focusing on the basal ganglia, thalamus and amygdala. Brain volumes were measured using Freesurfer, a validated segmentation algorithm. RESULTS Significantly smaller left thalamic volumes were found in patients compared with controls when corrected for intracranial volume. These reductions did not vary with handedness, laterality, duration or severity of symptoms. CONCLUSIONS These differences may reflect a primary disease process in this area or be secondary effects of the disorder, for example, resulting from limb disuse. Larger, longitudinal structural imaging studies will be required to confirm the findings and explore whether they are primary or secondary to CD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T R Nicholson
- Section of Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, , London, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Whitehead K, Kandler R, Reuber M. Patients' and neurologists' perception of epilepsy and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures. Epilepsia 2013; 54:708-17. [DOI: 10.1111/epi.12087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Rosalind Kandler
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology; STH NHS Foundation Trust; Sheffield; United Kingdom
| | - Markus Reuber
- Academic Neurology Unit; University of Sheffield; Sheffield; United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Greco M. The classification and nomenclature of ‘medically unexplained symptoms’: Conflict, performativity and critique. Soc Sci Med 2012; 75:2362-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2011] [Revised: 09/04/2012] [Accepted: 09/08/2012] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
|
16
|
Staniloiu A, Markowitsch HJ. Towards solving the riddle of forgetting in functional amnesia: recent advances and current opinions. Front Psychol 2012; 3:403. [PMID: 23125838 PMCID: PMC3485580 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2012] [Accepted: 09/27/2012] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Remembering the past is a core feature of human beings, enabling them to maintain a sense of wholeness and identity and preparing them for the demands of the future. Forgetting operates in a dynamic neural connection with remembering, allowing the elimination of unnecessary or irrelevant information overload and decreasing interference. Stress and traumatic experiences could affect this connection, resulting in memory disturbances, such as functional amnesia. An overview of clinical, epidemiological, neuropsychological, and neurobiological aspects of functional amnesia is presented, by preponderantly resorting to own data from patients with functional amnesia. Patients were investigated medically, neuropsychologically, and neuroradiologically. A detailed report of a new case is included to illustrate the challenges posed by making an accurate differential diagnosis of functional amnesia, a condition that may encroach on the boundaries between psychiatry and neurology. Several mechanisms may play a role in "forgetting" in functional amnesia, such as retrieval impairments, consolidating defects, motivated forgetting, deficits in binding and reassembling details of the past, deficits in establishing a first person autonoetic connection with personal events, and loss of information. In a substantial number of patients, we observed a synchronization abnormality between a frontal lobe system, important for autonoetic consciousness, and a temporo-amygdalar system, important for evaluation and emotions, which provides empirical support for an underlying mechanism of dissociation (a failure of integration between cognition and emotion). This observation suggests a mnestic blockade in functional amnesia that is triggered by psychological or environmental stress and is underpinned by a stress hormone mediated synchronization abnormality during retrieval between processing of affect-laden events and fact-processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Hans J. Markowitsch
- Physiological Psychology, University of BielefeldBielefeld, Germany
- Center of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology, University of BielefeldBielefeld, Germany
- Hanse Institute for Advanced StudyDelmenhorst, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Reynolds EH. Hysteria, conversion and functional disorders: a neurological contribution to classification issues. Br J Psychiatry 2012; 201:253-4. [PMID: 23028080 DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.111.107219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Proposals by psychiatrists to reclassify conversion disorder in DSM-5 and ICD-11 are proving difficult and controversial. Patients with conversion disorder usually present initially to neurologists, who often use different concepts and terminology. History and clinical practice suggest that the way forward is to seek agreed principles and a common understanding between the two disciplines, preferably in a single universal classification.
Collapse
|
18
|
Diskussion um Konzepte und Diagnostik somatoformer Störungen. DER NERVENARZT 2012; 83:1097-105. [DOI: 10.1007/s00115-011-3443-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
|
19
|
Markowitsch HJ, Staniloiu A. The impairment of recollection in functional amnesic states. Cortex 2012; 49:1494-510. [PMID: 22824728 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2012.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2011] [Revised: 05/09/2012] [Accepted: 06/08/2012] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Functional amnesia refers to various forms of amnesia, which have no direct organic brain basis. Psychological stress and trauma were etiologically linked to its development across various cultures. METHODS We have studied several patients with functional amnesia, employing neuropsychological and neuroimaging methods. Herein we provide a review of the current understanding of the phenomenology, neuropsychology and neurobiology of functional amnesia, which we illustrate by reference to five own case descriptions and other cases presented in the literature. RESULTS Functional amnesia is mostly of retrograde nature and presents in the form of a memory blockade or repression to recollect episodic-autobiographical events, which may cover the whole past life. Sometimes, the recollection impairment is localized to certain time epochs. In comparison to functional retrograde amnesia, functional isolated anterograde amnesia is much rarer and data on its neurobiology are scant. In patients with functional amnesia with pronounced retrograde episodic-autobiographical memory impairments, we identified changes in brain metabolism, above all reductions in the temporo-frontal regions of the right hemisphere. Recently, even subtle structural changes in the white matter of the (right) frontal cortex were described in functional retrograde amnesia by other researchers. CONCLUSIONS The disruption in recollection in functional amnesia is often accompanied by changes in personality dimensions, pertaining to cognition (self-related processing, theory of mind), autonoetic consciousness and affectivity. This suggests that functional amnesia is a multifaceted condition. We hypothesize that the recollection deficit in functional retrograde amnesia primarily reflects a desynchronization between a frontal lobe system, important for autonoetic consciousness, and a temporo-amygdalar system, important for evaluation and emotions. Despite assumptions that functional amnesia can always be reversed, several cases of functional amnesia were found to follow a chronic course, suggesting a need for longitudinal prospective studies to quantify possible global cognitive deterioration over time and its neural underpinnings.
Collapse
|