Research Article
Sublimation of Physical and Psychical Trauma in the Painting of Frida Kahlo
Issue:
Volume 14, Issue 4, December 2026
Pages:
89-92
Received:
16 August 2026
Accepted:
2 September 2026
Published:
9 October 2026
Abstract: The painting work of Frida Kahlo is a diary and recounts events from the past (the marriage of her parents, the accident) and the present (her marriage with Diego Rivera, her miscarriage and the betrayal of Diego with her sister). Frida Kahlo takes her inspiration in the physical and psychical traumas of her life, but also happy events and family secrets and sublimate and elaborate them. My method is the same than Freud: pick up something in the painting and associate with the life of the creator.
Abstract: The painting work of Frida Kahlo is a diary and recounts events from the past (the marriage of her parents, the accident) and the present (her marriage with Diego Rivera, her miscarriage and the betrayal of Diego with her sister). Frida Kahlo takes her inspiration in the physical and psychical traumas of her life, but also happy events and family s...
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Research Article
When Grief Mimics Conversion Disorder: New-Onset Focal Neurologic Deficits Revealing Demyelinating Disease
Jessica Cho*
,
Priya Choudhary,
Andy Ngo,
Aneeqa Ahmed,
Mahfoud Saddi,
Mujeeb Shad
Issue:
Volume 14, Issue 4, December 2026
Pages:
93-99
Received:
22 August 2026
Accepted:
16 September 2026
Published:
20 October 2026
Abstract: Acute neurologic presentations in the setting of profound emotional trauma can create significant diagnostic complexity, particularly when symptoms overlap with Functional Neurologic Disorder (FND), formerly referred to as Conversion Disorder. In these situations, clinicians may be vulnerable to diagnostic overshadowing, in which emotionally salient psychosocial factors bias interpretation of objective neurologic findings and lead to premature psychiatric attribution. This risk may be further amplified when initial non-contrast neuroimaging is unrevealing. We present the case of a 26-year-old previously healthy female who developed severe headache, dysarthria, right-sided facial droop, and bilateral extremity weakness one week after the sudden death of her sister-in-law. Initial vascular imaging and non-contrast computed tomography (CT) were unremarkable, raising concern for FND in the context of acute bereavement, and psychiatry was consulted to evaluate for a possible functional or psychiatric etiology. Subsequent multidisciplinary reassessment involving psychiatry and neurology prompted advanced neuroimaging. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain demonstrated multifocal T2/FLAIR hyperintense lesions, including enhancing lesions in the bilateral thalami, left cerebellar peduncle, and left insular/temporal regions; cervical and thoracic spinal cord T2 hyperintensities were also identified without reported enhancement. Collectively, these findings were concerning for an active demyelinating process and highly suggestive of multiple sclerosis (MS), but a definitive diagnosis was not established because cerebrospinal fluid studies and subsequent neurologic follow-up were unavailable. This case highlights several important clinical lessons: acute emotional stressors should not substitute for a neurologic evaluation when objective deficits are present; FND is a rule-in diagnosis supported by positive functional signs rather than psychosocial stress alone; normal CT imaging does not exclude demyelinating disease; and interdisciplinary evaluation may help reduce premature diagnostic closure. The temporal association between bereavement and symptom onset in this case is observational and does not establish that stress caused or precipitated demyelinating disease.
Abstract: Acute neurologic presentations in the setting of profound emotional trauma can create significant diagnostic complexity, particularly when symptoms overlap with Functional Neurologic Disorder (FND), formerly referred to as Conversion Disorder. In these situations, clinicians may be vulnerable to diagnostic overshadowing, in which emotionally salien...
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