Severe somatization in women is associated with altered cerebral glucose metabolism

Background. Somatization is a clinical phenomenon characterized by multiple, medically unexplained somatic symptoms. The pathophysiology remains unknown. We aimed to test the hypothesis of a central nervous system dysfunction in the pathophysiology of this disorder. Methods. We studied 10 female patients diagnosed as having somatization disorder or undifferentiated somatoform disorder with no current Axis I disorders according to DSM-IV. They were compared with 17 healthy female volunteers using brain [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose-PET with MRI reference. Results. The patients had lower cerebral metabolism rates of glucose (P