Tactual sensitivity in hypochondriasis

Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics
M A HaenenM A van den Hout

Abstract

In his article on amplification, somatization and somatoform disorders Barsky [Psychosomatics 1992; 33:28-34] pointed out the importance of studying the perception and processing of somatic and visceral symptoms. Subsequently, it was demonstrated that hypochondriacal patients are not more accurately aware of cardiac activity than a group of non-hypochondriacal patients. Authors concluded that hypochondriacal somatic complaints do not result from an unusually fine discriminative ability to detect normal physiological sensations that non-hypochondriacal patients are unable to perceive. The aim of the present study was to investigate tactual sensitivity to non-painful stimuli in hypochondriacal patients and healthy subjects. Twenty-seven outpatients with DSM-III-R hypochondriasis and 27 healthy control subjects were compared. In all subjects the two-point discrimination threshold was measured, as well as subjective sensitivity to harmless bodily sensations as measured by the Somatosensory Amplification Scale. It was found that hypochondriacal patients reported more distress and discomfort with benign bodily sensations. The two-point discrimination threshold of hypochondriacal patients was not significantly lower in patients as com...Continue Reading

Citations

Oct 31, 2009·Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology·Nexhmedin MorinaUlrich Stangier
Jan 18, 2012·The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology : QJEP·Laura MiramsDonna M Lloyd
Oct 11, 2007·BioPsychoSocial Medicine·Mutsuhiro Nakao, Arthur J Barsky
Apr 22, 2015·International Journal of Behavioral Medicine·Donja RodicGunther Meinlschmidt
Aug 25, 2007·Clinical Psychology Review·Winfried Rief, Elizabeth Broadbent
Nov 7, 2006·Clinical Psychology Review·David K MarcusCraig Bauer
May 3, 2006·Journal of Psychosomatic Research·Keith R AronsonKaren Quigley
Jun 9, 2015·The Behavioral and Brain Sciences·Francesco Mancini, Amelia Gangemi
Aug 15, 2012·Consciousness and Cognition·Laura MiramsDonna M Lloyd
Mar 27, 2002·Psychosomatic Medicine·Jennifer Mailloux, Jasper Brener

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