Unexplained neurologic symptoms: an fMRI study of sensory conversion disorder

Neurology. 2006 Dec 12;67(11):2036-8. doi: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000247275.68402.fc.

Abstract

We investigated three subjects with unexplained sensory loss meeting criteria for conversion disorder using brain fMRI during unilateral and bilateral vibrotactile stimulation. In each subject, stimulation of the affected limb did not produce activation of the contralateral primary somatosensory (S1) region, whereas bilateral limb stimulation did. These findings implicate selective alterations in primary sensorimotor cortex activity in conversion disorder, and may also reconcile the discordant results of previous studies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Conversion Disorder / complications
  • Conversion Disorder / diagnosis*
  • Conversion Disorder / pathology
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
  • Nervous System Diseases / complications
  • Nervous System Diseases / diagnosis
  • Nervous System Diseases / pathology
  • Sensation Disorders / complications
  • Sensation Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Sensation Disorders / pathology