Processing of Emotion in Functional Neurological Disorder
Petr Sojka1, Martin Bareš1,2, Tomáš Kašpárek1,2
1Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University and St Anne's University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czechia.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
|October 23, 2018
Summary
Functional neurological disorder (FND) symptoms may stem from emotional reactions, influenced by past illness experiences and social contexts. Research highlights autonomic dysregulation and altered bodily awareness in FND.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Psychiatry
- Psychosomatic Medicine
Background:
- Traditionally, emotions are considered crucial in functional neurological disorder (FND) development, but evidence is unclear.
- The study revisits Breuer and Freud's concept of hysterical conversion in relation to FND and emotions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and summarize evidence linking functional neurological disorder (FND) with emotions.
- To explore the role of autonomic arousal, emotion-motion interactions, social modulation, and bodily awareness in FND.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search identified 34 controlled studies.
- Studies were categorized into four groups: autonomic arousal, emotion-motion interactions, social modulation, and bodily awareness.
Main Results:
- Evidence supports autonomic dysregulation and abnormal limbic-motor interactions in response to emotional stimuli in FND.
- Findings indicate abnormal bodily awareness in FND, with limited empirical support for social modulation of symptoms.
- Clinical evidence suggests roles for suggestion and placebo in FND.
Conclusions:
- Functional neurological symptoms may represent emotional reactions shaped by prior illness experiences and reinforced by social contexts.
- Further research is needed on the impact of social context on FND symptom intensity and related brain activity.
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