The stiff man syndrome: a psychiatric disease?

Although the Stiff Man Syndrome has been traditionally viewed as a neurologic disorder, a number of recent articles have documented a pattern of familial, interpersonal, and intrapsychic stress which suggests that this disease may be, to a considerable degree, psychosomatic in origin. The present pa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of psychiatry in medicine 1976, Vol.7 (4), p.363-371
Main Authors: Heiligman, R, Paulson, M J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Fibromyalgia
Humans
Male
Muscle Cramp - etiology
Muscle Cramp - psychology
Psychophysiologic Disorders - diagnosis
Syndrome
Tachycardia, Paroxysmal - psychology
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Although the Stiff Man Syndrome has been traditionally viewed as a neurologic disorder, a number of recent articles have documented a pattern of familial, interpersonal, and intrapsychic stress which suggests that this disease may be, to a considerable degree, psychosomatic in origin. The present paper reviews several recent articles and focuses on a single case study. Although the medical diagnosis was earlier confirmed, an in-depth psychiatric evaluation and extensive psychological assessment showed many psychopathological concomitants associated with the severe muscle spasm and stiffness. A follow-up after about a year of group and individual psychotherapy showed that the symptoms were still in remission, and that the patient was functioning personally and occupationally on a significantly improved level.
ISSN:0091-2174