THE INPATIENT TREATMENT OF PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM (MOTOR) CONVERSIONSYMPTOMS - A DESCRIPTION OF 8 CASES

This article presents a preliminary study that used two controlled ran domized trials to study the effect of hypnosis in the treatment of eig ht patients with (motor) conversion symptoms. Controlled research into the treatment of conversion symptoms is scarce and can often be criti cized on methodological grounds. It would appear, however, that both t he use of suggestive and behavioral therapeutic techniques and eclecti c treatment programs yield good results in the treatment of conversion symptoms. The results of the study suggest that comprehensive clinica l treatment including hypnosis has enough promise to be studied in cli nical trials. In the interpretation of the results, special attention is given to primary diagnosis, duration of complaints, traumatic exper iences in childhood, dissociative capacity, and hypnotizability.