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Child Behavior (Expert Forum)
Conversion disorder or not
Answered by
Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D. - Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy, Family Therapy, Crisis Intervention
Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates
This forum is for questions and support regarding child behavior issues such: Child Discipline (behavior management), Normal Child Development, Parent-Child Communications, Social Development
Conversion disorder or not
by Sara, Sep 21, 1999 12:00AM
I have a 16 yr. old son that is ADHD and on medication. In January of this year he complained of back pain and was put on flexeril for spasms. After three weeks of treatment he presented with seizure like activity. He was hospitalised 3 times in 2 months and all tests including EEG's were normal. A sleep deprived one has never been done. We noticed that on the day that this happened he awoke very cranky after the seizures quit. He has been evaluated by a psychologist repeatedly and they do not agree that it is a conversion disorder that the neusology staff insists it is. Pleease help us not only is the expense becoming a problem but the last couple of times he has been unresponsive for over 12 hours. Some reports say unresponsive and some say unconscious, please define difference? This child was born with very tight muscle rigidity and some processing problems with vision and hearing. He is a normal well adjusted teenager , B/C student,Student Council, Sports traineer. I am worried that the docs can't agree on treatment for him to have a normal happy seizure free life. Please give any suggestions you have. thank You
Doctor's Answer
by Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D., Sep 22, 1999 12:00AM
, Sep 22, 1999 12:00AM
Dear Sara,
Thus far, diagnostic procedures have proved negative, but they have not yet ruled out organic factors to explain your son's condition. The sleep deprived EEG will be useful. Arguing against the possibility of conversion disorder, at least insofar as the information you provided in your note is concerned, is the absence of conflicts or stressors that would precede the initiation or exacerbation of the seizure activity. There is certainly reason to be skeptical about the diagnosis of conversion disorder, particularly because your son has already displayed some neurologically-based problems.
Sometimes a person can be conscious but, at the same time, not responsive to his surroundings (e.g., not responding to voices or other sounds). You might speak with the authors of the reports to determine precisely what was meant by the terms.
Thus far, diagnostic procedures have proved negative, but they have not yet ruled out organic factors to explain your son's condition. The sleep deprived EEG will be useful. Arguing against the possibility of conversion disorder, at least insofar as the information you provided in your note is concerned, is the absence of conflicts or stressors that would precede the initiation or exacerbation of the seizure activity. There is certainly reason to be skeptical about the diagnosis of conversion disorder, particularly because your son has already displayed some neurologically-based problems.
Sometimes a person can be conscious but, at the same time, not responsive to his surroundings (e.g., not responding to voices or other sounds). You might speak with the authors of the reports to determine precisely what was meant by the terms.
