What is the diagnosis of Conversion Disorder?

Conversion disorder is diagnosed on the basis of a person's medical history and neurological examination. The doctor also tries to determine if any stress or conflict is the cause of the symptoms.

[Read: What is Conversion Disorder]

There are no specific diagnostic tests to check for conversion disorder. Doctors depend on the signs and symptoms you have.  The diagnosis of conversion disorder may include:

• Electroencephalogram (EEG) scan: In the most obvious cases, a neurologist makes this diagnosis when the physical symptoms are not part of any known disorder of the nervous system. Sometimes, additional tests such as electroencephalogram (measures electrical activity in the brain) or an electromyogram (measures how well nerve impulses are being conducted through muscle tissue) are conducted to clarify the diagnosis.
• Bedside tests: The tests that check for normal reflexes help rule out a physical cause for one’s signs and symptoms.
• X-rays or other imaging tests: These tests are done to find out if the symptoms are caused by an injury, neurological or other physical conditions.

Even after medical diagnosis, it may not be conclusive that a person has conversion disorder or not. As diagnosis is inconclusive, many confuse the condition with other psychiatric problems such as mood disorder or personality disorder.

Read more articles on Conversion Disorder