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Lateral Response to Suggestion in Relation to Handedness and the Side of Psychogenic Symptoms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

J. J. Fleminger ,
G. M. McClure  and
R. Dalton
J. J. Fleminger
Affiliation:
Guy's Hospital, London SE1
G. M. McClure
Affiliation:
Adolescent Unit, Bethlem Royal Hospital; Department of Psychological Medicine, Guy's Hospital
R. Dalton
Affiliation:
Guy's Hospital Medical School
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Summary

A left-sided preponderance of psychogenic symptoms has often been reported. A Suggestion Test for the study of the laterality of psychogenic symptoms is described. Psychiatric patients and nurses received, on tape, the suggestion of a sensation in the hand to which they could give either right, left or bilateral responses. In both groups there was a majority of left-sided responses. Also, a history was obtained of previous psychogenic symptoms. These had occurred more on the left than on the right side of the body, and an association was found between left-sided symptoms and left-sided response to the test in individual patients. Left-sided symptoms were more prevalent among patients who were not strongly right-handed. These findings are considered in relation to ideas about the differential involvement of the cerebral hemispheres in the production of psychogenic symptoms.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 136 , Issue 6 , June 1980 , pp. 562 - 566
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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