Caloric vestibular stimulation as a treatment for conversion disorder: a case report and medical hypothesis

Conversion disorder is a medical condition in which a person has paralysis, blindness, or other neurological symptoms that cannot be clearly explained physiologically. To date, there is neither specific nor conclusive treatment. In this paper, we draw together a number of disparate pieces of knowled...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Frontiers in psychiatry 2014-06, Vol.5, p.63-63
Main Authors: Noll-Hussong, Michael, Holzapfel, Sabrina, Pokorny, Dan, Herberger, Simone
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
case report
Conversion Disorder
medical hypothesis
Neurobiology
Psychiatry
Vestibular stimulation
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Summary:Conversion disorder is a medical condition in which a person has paralysis, blindness, or other neurological symptoms that cannot be clearly explained physiologically. To date, there is neither specific nor conclusive treatment. In this paper, we draw together a number of disparate pieces of knowledge to propose a novel intervention to provide transient alleviation for this condition. As caloric vestibular stimulation has been demonstrated to modulate a variety of cognitive functions associated with brain activations, especially in the temporal-parietal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and insular cortex, there is evidence to assume an effect in specific mental disorders. Therefore, we go on to hypothesize that lateralized cold vestibular caloric stimulation will be effective in treating conversion disorder and we present provisional evidence from one patient that supports this conclusion. If our hypothesis is correct, this will be the first time in psychiatry and neurology that a clinically well-known mental disorder, long considered difficult to understand and to treat, is relieved by a simple or common, non-invasive medical procedure.
ISSN:1664-0640
1664-0640
DOI:10.3389/fpsyt.2014.00063