Question 1

Lucy complained of paralysis in her leg that made it impossible for her to work or do household chores. When in the emergency room, she appeared unconcerned with her ailment, and discussed it at great length. She even invited people to come and poke her leg to show that she experienced no sensations. She would most likely be diagnosed with:

Accepted Answer

Lucy's symptoms suggest conversion disorder, which involves the manifestation of physical symptoms without an underlying organic cause. The fact that she appears unconcerned and discusses her ailment at great length, seemingly inviting people to test her sensitivity, suggests that her symptoms may be unconsciously motivated by some psychological stressor. Somatization disorder involves the presence of multiple physical symptoms that are not explained by any underlying medical condition, while malingering involves the deliberate production of physical or psychological symptoms for secondary gain. Hypochondriasis involves excessive anxiety and fear of having a serious illness despite evidence to the contrary.

Question 2

Anosmia is:

Accepted Answer

Anosmia is a medical condition in which an individual loses their sense of smell.

Question 3

Canadian writer George Fraser's (1994)reports on cases of "hysterical blindness" in military men demonstrate:

Accepted Answer

George Fraser's reports on "hysterical blindness" in military men suggest that stress plays a vital role in the development of conversion disorders. Hysterical blindness is a conversion disorder characterized by functional blindness with no organic pathology. The condition occurs mainly in response to extreme stress or psychological conflict. Therefore, the best choice is A.

Question 4

Which of the following is a symptom of conversion disorder?

Accepted Answer

Conversion disorder involves neurological symptoms that cannot be explained by any underlying medical condition. Paralysis in the hand is a common symptom of conversion disorder, while having multiple personalities, chronic sweating, and hypersensitivity to pain are not typically associated with this disorder.

Question 5

Who is most likely to meet diagnostic criteria for conversion disorder?

Accepted Answer

Conversion disorder is more commonly found in individuals who have experienced stressful events or trauma, as well as those who live in rural or economically disadvantaged areas. Therefore, Danielle, an unemployed 30-year-old woman from a small rural town, is the most likely to meet diagnostic criteria for conversion disorder.

Question 6

Carpal tunnel syndrome:

Accepted Answer

Carpal tunnel syndrome produces symptoms similar to those of glove anaesthesia, such as tingling, numbness, and weakness in the hand and wrist. This is because the condition is caused by compression of the median nerve in the wrist, which can lead to a loss of sensation in the fingers and hand.

Question 7

Louise arrived at the emergency room complaining of severe stomach pain. After careful evaluation, it became clear that Louise had purposely given herself food poisoning. She would most likely:

Accepted Answer

Louise's behavior of purposely giving herself food poisoning indicates that she may have factitious disorder, a mental illness in which a person acts as if they have an illness or injury without actually having it, in order to receive attention or sympathy from others. This behavior is often quite deliberate and may involve self-harm or self-poisoning. Malingering involves intentionally feigning or exaggerating symptoms in order to obtain some external gain or benefit. Somatization disorder involves a long history of physical complaints for which no medical cause can be found. La belle indifference refers to a lack of concern or emotional response to a physical symptom or illness, which is more characteristic of certain neurological conditions than of factitious disorder.

Question 8

A known physical condition which must be ruled out before diagnosing glove anesthesia is:

Accepted Answer

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a physical condition that can cause glove anesthesia, so it must be ruled out before diagnosing glove anesthesia as a psychological or neurological condition like conversion disorder or somatic anesthesia. Pre-operative anesthesia is not relevant to the diagnosis of glove anesthesia.

Question 9

Most conversion symptoms suggest:

Accepted Answer

Conversion symptoms typically involve neurological dysfunction, such as paralysis or numbness, without any actual physical damage to the nervous system.

Question 10

A conversion disorder reflecting aphonia involves:

Accepted Answer

Aphonia refers to the loss of voice or inability to speak. This is a common symptom in conversion disorder, a condition where psychological stress is converted into physical symptoms. Loss of vision (A), touch (C), and smell (D) are not typically associated with conversion disorder reflecting aphonia.

Question 11

Robert complained of complete lack of feeling in both knees, but a physical exam revealed no physiological damage. Which of the following would be the most likely diagnosis for Robert?

Accepted Answer

The symptoms described in the scenario are characteristic of a conversion disorder, which involves physical symptoms that cannot be explained by any physiological damage or medical condition. Conversion disorder typically manifests as sensory or motor symptoms, such as blindness, paralysis, or loss of sensation.

Question 12

Sandra has 'glove anaesthesia.' This diagnosis:

Accepted Answer

Glove anaesthesia, where a person experiences a loss of sensation in the hand and wrist as if wearing a glove, does not align with the distribution of nerves in the human body. If Sandra has a job involving a great deal of typing, repetitive strain or other physical explanations could account for her symptoms, suggesting the diagnosis may be incorrect.

Question 13

In two Canadian cases of Munchausen's syndrome, nurses:

Accepted Answer

In the two Canadian cases of Munchausen's syndrome, the nurses made themselves ill by injecting blood into their own bladders. This behavior is a hallmark of Munchausen's syndrome, which is a mental disorder in which a person fakes or exaggerates illness for attention or sympathy.

Question 14

Aphonia, anosmia, and the experience of anesthesias are indicators of:

Accepted Answer

The symptoms listed (aphonia, anosmia, and anesthesia) are considered conversion disorder symptoms, which involve the actual loss of physical function without an underlying medical cause. Dissociative disorder involves a disruption in consciousness, memory, identity, or perception, but does not necessarily involve physical symptoms. Hypochondriasis is a preoccupation with the belief that one has a serious medical condition, but does not typically involve the loss of physical function. Dissociative amnesia is a type of dissociative disorder where there is an inability to recall important personal information, but does not necessarily involve physical symptoms.

Question 15

________ was the term used originally to describe what is known today as conversion disorder.

Accepted Answer

Historically, the term "hysteria" was used to describe what is now known as conversion disorder. The term "psychasthenia" was also used to describe a range of neurotic symptoms, but it is not directly associated with conversion disorder. "Anesthenia" is not a commonly used term in psychology or psychiatry, and "malingering" refers to feigning or exaggerating symptoms for personal gain, rather than an unconscious conversion of psychological distress into physical symptoms.

Question 16

Conversion disorder was first studied by Freud, when it was referred to as

Accepted Answer

Conversion disorder was first studied by Sigmund Freud in the late 19th century and was referred to as "hysteria." Freud believed that the disorder was caused by repressed psychological conflicts and could be treated through psychoanalysis.

Question 17

Lucy complained of paralysis in her leg that made it impossible for her to work or do household chores. When in the emergency room, she appeared unconcerned with her ailment, and discussed it at great length. She even invited people to come and poke her leg to show that she experienced no sensations. Lucy's style of discussing her symptoms is called:

Accepted Answer

La belle indifference is a term used to describe a seemingly unconcerned or indifferent attitude toward physical symptoms or disabilities that are not consistent with the severity of the situation. This is often seen in conversion disorder, which is a mental health condition in which a person experiences physical symptoms that have no identifiable medical cause. Lucy's behavior of inviting people to poke her leg and discussing her symptoms in great length despite being unable to do household chores suggest a certain level of detachment from the actual physical symptoms that she is experiencing, which is consistent with La belle indifference. Hypochondriasis, Briquet's syndrome, and Fugue are not descriptive of the behavior exhibited by Lucy.

Question 18

George Fraser from the Royal Ottawa Hospital reported on the cases of two young military recruits who were referred to psychiatry because of their "blindness." These two young men were diagnosed with:

Accepted Answer

Conversion disorder refers to the presence of neurological symptoms that are inconsistent with any known neurological or medical condition, and which are believed to be due to psychological factors. "Blindness" that cannot be explained by any medical or neurological conditions is a common presentation of conversion disorder. Somatization disorder, hypochondriasis, and factitious disorder are all types of somatic symptom disorders, but do not explain the specific presentation of "blindness".

Question 19

The onset of conversion symptoms is usually:

Accepted Answer

Conversion symptoms typically have a sudden onset and are often triggered by a stressful situation. This sudden onset can be quite dramatic and may include symptoms such as paralysis, blindness, or seizures.

Question 20

Chew and colleagues (2002)reported on two Canadian nurses who presented with urinary tract infections that were linked to the purposeful infusion of their blood into their bladders. This type of malingering is associated with:

Accepted Answer

Factitious disorder involves intentionally faking physical or psychological symptoms or causing illness or injury to oneself, often for the purpose of assuming the sick role or receiving attention and care from others. Malingering refers to intentionally feigning or exaggerating symptoms for external gain, such as financial compensation or avoiding legal consequences. In this case, the deliberate infusion of blood into the bladder demonstrates intentional and deceptive behavior, suggestive of factitious disorder.

Quiz 7: Somatic Symptom Disorders and Dissociative Disorders