This book charts the ways in which the ideas of a 19th Century neurologist became enshrined in the thinking of modern neuropsychiatry. It looks at how the diagnosis of hysteria and conversion disorder was revitalised by a group of like-minded physicians under the terms of "functional weakness" and "functional neurological deficit" in order to "develop constructive ways of talking with patients". Overton claims this approach has fundamentally failed and the often hilarious jibes he makes at some sectors of the medical profession only highlight further the need for doctors to listen to their patients. "Deserves to be part of the literary canon"- Angela Kennedy

Author: Simon Overton
Paperback: 182 pages
Company: lulu.com (2009-02-15)
ISBN: 1409265420
List Price: $14.02
Amazon Price: $14.02

Conversion is very common but often misdiagnosed; even when diagnosed, treatment is difficult. It is critical for physicians to have the necessary knowledge to manage these patients in the most effective way. This volume gives all of the available, up-to-date information on when to think about conversion in movement disorders, how to make a diagnosis, how to use the laboratory to support a clinical diagnosis and how to develop a therapeutic plan. Written by experts in neurology, psychiatry, psychology, neuroimaging, neurophysiology and genetics, this book covers psychogenic movement disorders and other conversion disorders from all of the most relevant clinical angles. An accompanying CD-ROM with a video library featuring over 100 real-life examples of movement disorders will aid diagnosis. Neurologists and psychiatrists, as well as others interested in brain pathophysiology at the boundary of neurology and psychiatry, will find this a useful aid to both clinical practice and research.

Hardcover: 336 pages
Company: Cambridge University Press (2012-01-16)
ISBN: 1107007348
List Price: $120.00
Amazon Price: $104.30
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The Cycle Path is a remarkable story about a woman who overcomes the crippling condition "Conversion Syndrome Disorder". This rare condition where anxiety causes paralysis of the body. The book is a must for people who work in the medical field, researchers, anyone who may have a similar condition and anyone who has expereinced domestic violence, child abuse and had an abortion. This real life story describes how the author Fiona Whelpton who experiences domestic abuse, having an abortion and the worry that her son has experienced child abuse becomes one of life's winners. The Cycle Path is an admirable story of empowerment from The Mental Health Publisher. See Chipmunkapublishing's website: www.chipmunkapublishing.com

Author: Fiona Whelpton
Paperback: 84 pages
Company: Chipmunkapublishing (2004-08-27)
ISBN: 1904697054
List Price: $20.00
Amazon Price: $18.54
Used Price: $94.94

(20100212)

Hardcover: 488 pages
Company: The Guilford Press (2009-02-05)
ISBN: 1606230395
List Price: $60.00
Amazon Price: $45.16
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Pseudo-neurologic disorders (PNDs) are clinical complaints most often mistaken as signs of known neurological disease or injuries, such as epilepsy, movement disorders, cognitive disorders, neurotoxic exposures, and various pain syndromes. They are not distinct unified diseases and in the extant literature they are variously referred to as pseudo-seizures, non-epileptic seizures, psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNEs), non-epileptic attach disorders, hysterical fits, functional movement disorders, psychogenic movement disorders, psychigenic pain disorder, conversion disorder, and approximately 15 other synonyms. The clinical phenomenon of the PNDs has a long and fascinating history and fired the imagination of all of the seminal 19th and early 20th century pioneers of modern neurology and psychiatry; Charcot, Freud, Breuer, Janet, and others. Today it still has the power to command our attention and raises difficult questions about consciousness, volition, and intention. In the past 20 years there has been a great deal of scholarship and research in the field, and a greater appreciation of its importance has emerged. Moreover, there has been an explosion of knowledge in clinical neuroscience which has vastly improved our diagnostic and therapeutic capability. However, an orderly understanding of the PNDs has been more elusive. The most likely reasons for this gap are that the PNDs are wildly heterogeneous and are typically classified either as symptoms of an underlying psychiatric disorder or in terms of their superficial resemblance to the various neurologic diseases for which they are mistaken. Hence, PNDs, like other somatizations, have come to be defined in terms of what they are not rather than what they are. This volume will provide practicing physicians and clinical neuroscientists with a one-source guide to the differential diagnosis and management of the most frequently encountered pseudo-neurologic disorders.

Hardcover: 400 pages
Company: Springer (2012-04-30)
ISBN: 1441905456
List Price: $129.95
Amazon Price: $110.93

Hephaestus Books represents a new publishing paradigm, allowing disparate content sources to be curated into cohesive, relevant, and informative books. To date, this content has been curated from Wikipedia articles and images under Creative Commons licensing, although as Hephaestus Books continues to increase in scope and dimension, more licensed and public domain content is being added. We believe books such as this represent a new and exciting lexicon in the sharing of human knowledge. This particular book is a collaboration focused on Somatoform disorders.More info: Somatoform disorder, also known as Briquet's syndrome (named after Paul Briquet), or Brissaud-Marie syndrome (named after Édouard Brissaud and Pierre Marie), is a mental disorder characterized by physical symptoms that mimic physical disease or injury for which there is no identifiable physical cause. The symptoms that result from a somatoform disorder are due to mental factors. In people who have somatoform disorder, medical test results are either normal or don't explain the person's symptoms. People who have this disorder may undergo several medical evaluations and tests to be sure that they do not have an illness related to a physical cause or central lesion. Patients with this disorder often become very worried about their health because the doctors are unable to find a cause for their health problems. Their symptoms are similar to the symptoms of other illnesses and may last for several years.

Author: Hephaestus Books
Paperback: 64 pages
Company: Hephaestus Books (2011-09-02)
ISBN: 124343600X
List Price: $17.75
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Patients with hysterical conversion present with striking physical symptoms such as weakness, sensory disorders or memory loss, that suggest a neurological disease but which show no evidence of brain and central nervous system damage. Although it is now over one hundred years since Breuer and Freud published their seminal Studies on Hysteria (1895) the story of hysteria remains controversial - even its existence as a viable clinical entity has been repeatedly questioned. Despite renewed interest over the past decade, most publications report little or no empirical research from the cognitive or clinical neurosciences. This is surprising given that the explanation of hysteria is still one where "the very notions of mind and body, and the boundaries and bridges between them are constantly challenged and reconstituted" (Porter, 1993).
The rush to explain hysteria in terms of psychodynamics has so far proved elusive. Rather than developing further theories of hysteria, it is essential to charcterise those domains of normal volition and motor and sensory control that may be impaired, and from which it is possible to interpret observed symptoms. Only then will it be possible to provide a cognitively motivated account of how psychological mechanisms can translate (convert) into physical symptoms. As in other areas of psychiatry, it seems beneficial when explaining psychiatric phenomena to consider whether impairment to normal psychological phenomena can be used to construct a rational account of the underlying pathology.
The aim of this special issue is to bridge the void left by the traditional over-reliance on psychodynamic accounts by emphasising putative cognitive and neuropsychological accounts of this puzzling and cotnroversial condition.

Author: Anthony S. David, Peter W. Halligan
Hardcover: 136 pages
Company: Psychology Press (1999-09-01)
ISBN: 0863776515
List Price: $59.95
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In March 2001, the National Institutes of Health issued the following warning: "The number of Web sites offering health-related resources grows every day. Many sites provide valuable information, while others may have information that is unreliable or misleading." Furthermore, because of the rapid increase in Internet-based information, many hours can be wasted searching, selecting, and printing.This book was created for medical professionals, students, and members of the general public who want to conduct medical research using the most advanced tools available and spending the least amount of time doing so.

Author: ICON Health Publications
Paperback: 68 pages
Company: ICON Health Publications (2004-09-17)
ISBN: 0497002973
List Price: $28.95
Amazon Price: $25.60
Used Price: $79.76

The Personality Disorders Treatment Planner provides all the elements necessary to quickly and easily develop formal treatment plans that satisfy the demands of HMOs, managed care companies, third-party payers, and state and federal review agencies. Saves you hours of time-consuming paperwork, yet offers the freedom to develop customized treatment plans for clients with personality disorders Organized around 32 main presenting problems, from antisocial-malevolent and borderline-petulant to histrionic-appeasing, obsessive-compulsive, paranoid-fanatic, and others Over 1,000 well-crafted, clear statements describe the behavioral manifestations of each relational problem, long-term goals, short-term objectives, and clinically tested treatment options Easy-to-use reference format helps locate treatment plan components by behavioral problem or DSM-IV(TM) diagnosis Includes a sample treatment plan that conforms to the requirements of most third-party payers and accrediting agencies (including JCAHO and NCQA)

Author: Neil R. Bockian, Arthur E. Jongsma Jr.
Paperback: 409 pages
Company: Wiley (2001-01-15)
ISBN: 0471394033
List Price: $55.00
Amazon Price: $37.99
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When faced with a patient whose psychological symptoms may stem from an organic, or medical, condition rather than psychology, how does the practitioner determine exactly which is the true case? To facilitate this process and give psychologists, social workers, and nurses a useable guide to assessment, Robert Taylor created Psychological Masquerade and has updated it to be the most complete handbook you will ever need in the field.

New chapters on violent behavior, amnesia and dementia, sex obsession, and Munchausen-by-Proxy fill out the guide and numerous case studies help clarify diagnostic criteria and provide a welcome hands-on approach to caring for clients in this delicate balance. As a further enhancement of the text as assessment tool, self-tests for hypothetical cases are included as are specific clinical tests that aid in clue gathering.

This is the perfect clinical guide for any practitioner who is likely to come into contact with psychological masquerade among their clients and will be a welcome addition to the practitioner's toolbox.

Author: Robert L. Taylor MD
Paperback: 304 pages
Company: Springer Publishing Company (2007-02-27)
ISBN: 0826102476
List Price: $50.00
Amazon Price: $46.01
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