Twelve female students from Le Roy Junior Senior High School in upstate New York are experiencing a mysterious medical condition. Their symptoms include stuttering, uncontrollable twitching movements and verbal outbursts. Health officials say the symptoms are consistent with "conversion disorder." Dr. Jennifer McVige, a pediatric neurologist at the DENT Neurologic Institute who is treating many of the students affected, said, "Conversion disorder is a physical manifestation of physiological symptoms where there is traditionally some kind of stress or multiple stressors that provoke a physical reaction within the body." McVige said the symptoms are real. "This is unconscious. It is not done purposefully." According to the Mayo Clinic, females are much more likely to get conversion disorder and it is more common in adolescents or young adults. Additional coverage: JD Journal
CNN, 1/19/2012
Tags: Mayoclinic.com