Conversion Hysteria
Conversion Hysteria

Author: Peter W. Halligan

Publisher: Psychology Press

Published: 1999

Total Pages: 144

ISBN-13: 9780863776519

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Patients with hysterical conversion present with striking physical symptoms such as weakness, sensory disorders or memory loss, that suggest a neurological disease but which show no evidence of brain and central nervous system damage. Although it is now over one hundred years since Breuer and Freud published their seminal Studies on Hysteria(1895) the story of hysteria remains controversial - even its existence as a viable clinical entity has been repeatedly questioned. Despite renewed interest over the past decade, most publications report little or no empirical research from the cognitive or clinical neurosciences. This is surprising given that the explanation of hysteria is still one where "the very notions of mind and body, and the boundaries and bridges between them are constantly challenged and reconstituted" (Porter, 1993). The rush to explain hysteria in terms of psychodynamics has so far proved elusive. Rather than developing further theories of hysteria, it is essential to charcterise those domains of normal volition and motor and sensory control that may be impaired, and from which it is possible to interpret observed symptoms. Only then will it be possible to provide a cognitively motivated account of how psychological mechanisms can translate (convert) into physical symptoms. As in other areas of psychiatry, it seems beneficial when explaining psychiatric phenomena to consider whether impairment to normal psychological phenomena can be used to construct a rational account of the underlying pathology. The aim of this special issue is to bridge the void left by the traditional over-reliance on psychodynamic accounts by emphasising putative cognitive and neuropsychological accounts of this puzzling and cotnroversial condition.ial to charcterise those domains of normal volition and motor and sensory control that may be impaired, and from which it is possible to interpret observed symptoms. Only then will it be possible to provide a cognitively motivated account of how psychological mechanisms can translate (convert) into physical symptoms. As in other areas of psychiatry, it seems beneficial when explaining psychiatric phenomena to consider whether impairment to normal psychological phenomena can be used to construct a rational account of the underlying pathology. The aim of this special issue is to bridge the void left by the traditional over-reliance on psychodynamic accounts by emphasising putative cognitive and neuropsychological accounts of this puzzling and cotnroversial condition.

Aminoff's Neurology and General Medicine
Aminoff's Neurology and General Medicine

Author: Michael J. Aminoff

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2014-02-18

Total Pages: 1393

ISBN-13: 0124077382

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Aminoff's Neurology and General Medicine is the standard and classic reference providing comprehensive coverage of the relationship between neurologic practice and general medicine. As neurologists are asked to consult on general medical conditions, this reference provides an authoritative tool linking general medical conditions to specific neurologic issues and disorders. This is also a valuable tool for the general practitioner seeking to understand the neurologic aspects of their medical practice. Completely revised with new chapters covering metastatic disease, bladder disease, psychogenic disorders, dementia, and pre-operative and post-operative care of patients with neurologic disorders, this new edition will again be the go-to reference for both neurologists and general practitioners. - The standard authoritative reference detailing the relationship between neurology and general medicine - 100% revised and updated with several new chapters - Well illustrated, with most illustrations in full color

Hysterical Conversion Reactions
Hysterical Conversion Reactions

Author: M. Weintraub

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2012-07-20

Total Pages: 156

ISBN-13: 9789401163194

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Neurologic illness represents a major portion of clinical medicine and challenges the diagnostic and therapeutic acumen of all physicians. It is the purpose of this series to familiarize our colleagues with common clinical disorders and to emphasize not only examination techniques but also to discuss therapeutic and investigative implications. Pitfalls will also be emphasized. In this way, we hope to create a practical set of volumes that will stimulate the reader to "use" these books routinely rather than to set them on the shelf as a reference text. In the past few years, there has been a revolution in the field of neurology with the development of new techniques for brain imaging and further understanding of the role of neurotransmitters. We hope to meet the needs of our colleagues by this practical clinical series. MICHAEL I. WEINTRAUB, M.D. April,1983 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Hysterical conversion reactions (HCR) are among the most common clinical states confronting the physician. Despite the ubiquity of this condition there has been a virtual absence of a standard text on the subject. For over twelve years I have reflected on this topic and have felt the need for a book that would instruct my medical colleagues to deal accurately and effectively with this problem. I was fortunate to work with Dr. Bernard H. Smith who introduced me to the wide spectrum of HCR. Drs. Gilbert H.

Conversion Disorder
Conversion Disorder

Author: Jamieson Webster

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published: 2018-11-27

Total Pages: 306

ISBN-13: 0231545312

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Conversion disorder—a psychiatric term that names the enigmatic transformation of psychic energy into bodily manifestations—offers a way to rethink the present. With so many people suffering from unexplained bodily symptoms; with so many seeking recourse to pharmacological treatments or bodily modification; with young men and women seemingly willing to direct violence toward anybody, including themselves—a radical disordering in culture insists on the level of the body. Part memoir, part clinical case, part theoretical investigation, this book searches for the body. Is it a psychopathological entity; a crossroads for the cultural, political, and biological in the form of care; or the foundation of psychoanalytic work on the question of sexuality? Jamieson Webster traces conversion’s shifting meanings—in religious, economic, and even chemical processes—revisiting the work of thinkers as diverse as Benjamin, Foucault, Agamben, and Lacan. She provides an intimate account of her own conversion from patient to psychoanalyst, as well as her continuing struggle to apprehend the complexities of the patient’s body. When listening to dreams, symptoms, worries, or sexual impasses, the body becomes a defining trope that belies a vulnerable and urgent wish for transformation. Conversion Disorder names what is singular about the entanglement of the fractured body and the social world in order to imagine what kind of cure is possible.

Hysteria: The Rise of an Enigma
Hysteria: The Rise of an Enigma

Author: J. Bogousslavsky

Publisher: Karger Medical and Scientific Publishers

Published: 2014-06-23

Total Pages: 222

ISBN-13: 3318026476

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Hysteria is probably the condition which best illustrates the tight connection between neurology and psychiatry. While it has been known since antiquity, its renewed studies during the 19th century were mainly due to the work of Jean-Martin Charcot and his school in Paris. This publication focuses on these early developments, in which immediate followers of Charcot, including Babinski, Freud, Janet, Richer, and Gilles de la Tourette were involved. Hysteria is commonly considered as a condition that often leads to spectacular manifestations (e.g. convulsions, palsies), although both structural and functional imaging data confirm the absence of consistent and reproducible structural lesions. While numerous hypotheses have tried to explain the occurrence of this striking phenomenon, the precise nosology and pathophysiology of hysteria remain elusive. This volume offers an enthralling and informative read for neurologists, psychiatrists, and psychologists, as well as for general physicians, historians, and everyone interested in the developments of one of the most intriguing conditions in medicine.

The Boundaries of Consciousness: Neurobiology and Neuropathology
The Boundaries of Consciousness: Neurobiology and Neuropathology

Author: Steven Laureys

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2006-06-09

Total Pages: 631

ISBN-13: 0080476201

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Consciousness is one of the most significant scientific problems today. Renewed interest in the nature of consciousness - a phenomenon long considered not to be scientifically explorable, as well as increasingly widespread availability of multimodal functional brain imaging techniques (EEG, ERP, MEG, fMRI and PET), now offer the possibility of detailed, integrated exploration of the neural, behavioral, and computational correlates of consciousness. The present volume aims to confront the latest theoretical insights in the scientific study of human consciousness with the most recent behavioral, neuroimaging, electrophysiological, pharmacological and neuropathological data on brain function in altered states of consciousness such as: brain death, coma, vegetative state, minimally conscious state, locked-in syndrome, dementia, epilepsy, schizophrenia, hysteria, general anesthesia, sleep, hypnosis, and hallucinations. The interest of this is threefold. First, patients with altered states of consciousness continue to represent a major clinical problem in terms of clinical assessment of consciousness and daily management. Second, the exploration of brain function in altered states of consciousness represents a unique lesional approach to the scientific study of consciousness and adds to the worldwide effort to identify the "neural correlate of consciousness". Third, new scientific insights in this field have major ethical and social implications regarding our care for these patients.

Abnormal Illness Behaviour
Abnormal Illness Behaviour

Author: Issy Pilowsky

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 1997-08-04

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 9780471965732

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Pilowsky presents a general introduction to the early recognition and management of abnormal illness behaviour, and suggests ways to identify such behaviour, offer appropriate psychological care and provide specialist psychiatric help.

Medically Unexplained Symptoms, Somatisation and Bodily Distress
Medically Unexplained Symptoms, Somatisation and Bodily Distress

Author: Francis Creed

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2011-07-14

Total Pages: 267

ISBN-13: 1139498452

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Medically unexplained symptoms and somatisation are the fifth most common reason for visits to doctors in the USA, and form one of the most expensive diagnostic categories in Europe. The range of disorders involved includes irritable bowel syndrome, chronic widespread pain and chronic fatigue syndrome. This book reviews the current literature, clarifies and disseminates clear information about the size and scope of the problem, and discusses current and future national and international guidelines. It also identifies barriers to progress and makes evidence-based recommendations for the management of medically unexplained symptoms and somatisation. Written and edited by leading experts in the field, this authoritative text defines international best practice and is an important resource for psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, primary care doctors and those responsible for establishing health policy.

Contemporary Approaches to the Study of Hysteria
Contemporary Approaches to the Study of Hysteria

Author: Peter Halligan

Publisher:

Published: 2001

Total Pages: 376

ISBN-13:

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Patients with striking symptoms which have no discernible physical cause are typically labelled as suffering from hysterical conversion. This book covers aspects neglected by previous works on this controversial condition, moving away from traditional historico-sociological accounts towards neuroscientific theories about the causes and categorization of hysteria. Importantly, it also covers medico-legal aspects, prognosis, treatment and rehabilitation.

Windows to the Brain
Windows to the Brain

Author: Robin A. Hurley

Publisher: American Psychiatric Pub

Published: 2009-02-20

Total Pages: 266

ISBN-13: 1585628816

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Windows to the Brain is the only book to synthesize neuroanatomical and imaging research as it pertains to selected neuropsychiatric diseases, containing all of the "Windows to the Brain" papers published from 1999-2006 in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences. These reader-friendly summaries by more than sixty contributors present modern imaging techniques that assist in the diagnosis of neuropsychiatric illness, enhanced by easily understood color graphics of the neuroanatomical circuits of behavior, memory, and emotion. They provide a basic understanding of how to apply a variety of imaging techniques to the study of adult neuropsychiatric disease and how to use neuroimaging to assist in diagnostic work-ups for conditions ranging from sleep disorders to epilepsy to borderline personality. Integrated, color-coded graphics present functional anatomical information in a manner that promotes understanding and use in clinical practice, while the text encompasses a wide range of diseases and injuries across the adult lifespan. The book is organized into four sections that will help readers increase their appreciation of the wide range of research and clinical applications for imaging in neuropsychiatry: chapters on imaging techniques discuss underlying principles, strengths and weaknesses, and applications; chapters on specific diseases demonstrate a range of investigative techniques; anatomy/circuit chapters focus on particular brain structures or functional neuropsychiatric circuits; and final chapters present image-based approaches to understanding or selecting treatment options. Some of the applications described are: Use of fMRI in posttraumatic stress disorder to reveal the delicate balance between the structures of the emotion and memory tracks; Use of high-resolution MRI and nuclear imaging to distinguish between panic disorder and simple partial seizure disorder; Use of functional imaging studies to detect corticobasal degeneration, as a means of better understanding dementia; Use of newer imaging techniques in identifying progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, to enable more rapid and reliable tailoring of individual therapy for HIV; Use of functional neuroimaging in the study of fear, in order to better understand and treat anxiety-based psychiatric disorders; Use of neuroimaging studies in conversion disorder, showing implications for the disruption of selfhood in dissociative identity disorder and schizophrenia; Use of FDG-PET scans to look for predictors of treatment response in childhood-onset obsessive-compulsive disorder. Windows to the Brain can help bring less-experienced readers up to speed on advanced imaging and anatomical details that pertain to the modern practice of neuropsychiatry. It is must-reading for specialists in neuropsychiatry and cognitive/behavioral neurology, or for general psychiatrists with an interest in neuroimaging.