Hypnosis as therapy for functional neurologic disorders.
Handbook of clinical neurology January 1, 2016 Q Deeley
Suggestion—the intentional communication of beliefs or ideas to produce convincing changes in experience and behavior—has been used to treat functional neurologic symptoms since hypnosis was first described in the 19th century. Hypnosis derived from earlier healing practices, including animal magnetism and exorcism, which involved unintentionally suggestive stimuli. Nineteenth-century practitioners used hypnosis, imperative commands, medical clairvoyance, and suggestion without hypnosis. Modern treatments combine suggestion with cognitive-behavioral, rehabilitative, or psychodynamic therapy. The evidence base consists mostly of case studies and series, with few randomized controlled trials. The concept of suggestion highlights how clinical interactions can alter patients' expectancies and beliefs, influencing symptom onset, course, and remission.