Differing reports of pain perception by different personalities in a patient with chronic pain and multiple personality disorder.

Abstract

There have been several reports of patients with chronic pain (CP) and dissociative or multiple personality disorder (MPD). This report describes a patient with MPD in whom 4 different personalities reported different perceptions of pain. Psychological testing was used to confirm the diagnosis of MPD. Visual analogue scales (VAS) and the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) were used on each of the 4 personalities. Each personality completed pain drawings to indicate currently perceived pain and resulting disability, and had EMG recordings of muscle tension. These studies documented a difference in pain perception, location, and estimates of secondary functional impairment between different personalities in the same patient.