Abstract
We studied "psychogenic" hearing loss childhood from a point of psychosomatic Medicine, The subjects were 12 cases who had been diagnosed as "psychogenic" hearing loss at the outpatient clinic of otology in Children-s Medical Center of Osaka, and they were consulted with department of psychiatry. We analyzed the subject to learn the relationship between clinical observations and a psychological test, Rorschach test, WISC or WISC-R, GAT, etc. The age of the subjects ranged from 8 and 11 years old, the mean years old. (male 1,female 11) They showed hearing loss between 18.75 and 92.5 dB at audiography. But at ABR, they all showed normal response. 9 cases were pointed out hearing loss by general medical check at school despite no complaint, 3 complained of hearing loss by themselves. 7 cases of all had psychosomatic symptoms such as headache, autointoxication asthmatic attack. In paticular, 5 cases had functional visual dysfunction. 8 cases were examined by WISC or WISC-R. 7 of them had average IQ, while one had borderline IQ. 4 cases who were not examined by IQ test were observed to have average intelligence. In family relation test, a parent or parents of 5 cases felt negative tendency. In Rorschach test, they were charecterized with location determinant, form level, content. 7 cases were examined to EEG it was learned that one had borderline EEG. Then, we classified the subjests into three types according psychologial test, mainly to Rorschach test. Type 1 was named as over-adaptation group. As to the results at Rorschach test, they showed W%>D%, higher W% than average for their age. They got tense easily, and were sensitive, passive and supressive of their emotions. Type 2 was named as pre-adaptation group. They showed D%>W%, higher F(-)% than average. Their character was social immaturity. Type 3 was named as mal-adaptation group. They responded little to Rorschach test, especially form level. Their character was egocentric and subjective. On the basis of this classification, it is possible to speculate the course of clinical symptom and prognosis. Type 1 had little or no complaint; their symptoms were transient and their prognosis was good. They could be considered psychosomatic type. Type 2,their course and symptom were changeable. Many of them showed abnormal EEG. It was thought that this group might involve children with MBD tendency. Type 3 complained of many symptoms, had functional visual dysfunction. Their course was cyclic and prognosis was not good. This type might involve hysterical mechanisms. This classification was effective for the therapeutic approach and it should be pointed out that "psychogenic" hearing loss in childhood involve not only hysterical mechanisms but also psychosomatic mechanisms.
