The question of symptom lateralization in conversion disorder

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not conver sion symptoms are lateralized. Studies have shown a predominant left-orient ed manifestation of symptoms for most somatoform disorders. The reports in the literature on the lateralization of conversion symptoms, however, are r ather conflicting. They show left-sided, right-sided, or no symptom lateral ization in conversion disorders. Methods: One hundred fourteen patients wit h conversion disorder were screened for symptom lateralization. Results: Th ose patients with unilateral symptoms (32.5%) showed no significant bias to ward left or right symptom presentation. Conclusion: Based on these results , and the conflicting findings from previous studies, we conclude that ther e is insufficient support for lateralization theories in conversion disorde r. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.