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This study tested whether a hypnosis-based intervention showed promise as a treatment for patients with conversion disorder, motor type. Forty-four outpatients with conversion disorder, motor type, or somatization disorder with motor conversion symptoms, were randomly assigned to a hypnosis or a waiting-list condition. The hypnosis-condition patients were more improved relative to baseline and the waiting-list controls. Improvement was evident on an observational index of behavioral symptoms associated with the motor conversion and on an interview measure of extent of motor disability. No effect was obtained on a nonspecific measure of broad psychopathology immediately posttreatment. At 6-month follow-up, improvement was maintained across the behavioral and interview measures. The effect size of hypnotizability as a predictor of treatment outcome was comparable to that found for other individual patient differences associated with psychotherapy outcome although non-significant. Hypnotizability scored above patient expectations as a predictor of treatment outcome.

In a previously completed empirical study examining the use of hypnosis in a comprehensive treatment program with 85 patients who suffered motor conversion symptoms, 16 patients were reported by their therapists to have had unusual and unexpected responses during hypnosis. This article summarizes the literature on the occurrence of unintended phenomena during hypnosis and presents instances encountered in a study of conversion hysterics. The article illustrates these occurrences and their management with 7 clinical vignettes and concludes that surprising or unusual responses to hypnosis with these types of cases can be an opportunity for the patient to enhance understanding and gain control over his or her symptoms.

This article presents a preliminary study that used two controlled randomized trials to study the effect of hypnosis in the treatment of eight patients with (motor) conversion symptoms. Controlled research into the treatment of conversion symptoms is scarce and can often be criticized on methodological grounds. It would appear, however, that both the use of suggestive and behavioral therapeutic techniques and eclectic treatment programs yield good results in the treatment of conversion symptoms. The results of the study suggest that comprehensive clinical treatment including hypnosis has enough promise to be studied in clinical trials. In the interpretation of the results, special attention is given to primary diagnosis, duration of complaints, traumatic experiences in childhood, dissociative capacity, and hypnotizability.