title: Lateral response to suggestion in relation to handedness and the side of psychogenic symptoms.
abstract: 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.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D013404:Suggestion