Comparison of four different treatment options in the management of acute conversion disorder

ABSTRACT

Patients with conversion disorder may be seen by different specialists in various clinics and emergency situations. However, there are not sufficient studies on the most effective treatment for this disabling illness. In a clinical trial, we compared four treatment strategies; muscle relaxation, suggestion, hypnosis and intravenous diazepam infusion, in 80 patients with acute conversion disorder. Speed of recovery and number of the recurrences in a month following different treatment options were compared among groups. Recovery was significantly quicker with muscle relaxation compared to hypnosis and diazepam infusion. In patients with comorbidity of major depressive disorder, recovery was even faster. There was no statistically significant differences in the number of remissions or relapses among the four groups. All the four different treatment strategies brought about significant recovery. However, after treating patients with muscle relaxation, recovery was faster compared to other treatment methods: