Brief Commentary
Koundoul A, Kane Y
Abstract
In African societies in general and particularly in the Wolof culture in Senegal, honor occupies a privileged place. For the protection of dignity, it sometimes happens that the fundamental principles of justice, culture and religion are relegated to the background by individuals. The interest of such a reflection lies in the need to contextualize the appearance of conversion disorder also called "disorder with functional neurological symptomatology" according to DSM-5 [1] in a young prisoner of 25 years. The objective of this reflection is to highlight the cultural component in the triggering of the disorders and to draw the attention of doctors towards a somatization of the patients which could be at the origin of a chronicisation of the troubles. Here we report the observation of Salif who is received and hospitalized at the Emile BADIANE Psychiatric Center in Ziguinchor (region of southern Senegal) for agitation attacks with auto and hetero-aggression accompanied by vomiting and visions of a man who threatens him with a knife. During his crises, Salif attacks his fellow prisoners or bangs his head violently against the wall. His seizures appeared following a correction received from a fellow prisoner in front of everyone. The repetition of the crises in spite of a treatment in the department of neurology of the Regional Hospital Center of Ziguinchor where the diagnosis of epilepsy retained and the normal electroencephalogram motivated are transferred in service of psychiatry.