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Gender Differences in Functional Movement Disorders
José Fidel Baizabal-Carvallo1,2, Joseph Jankovic1
1Parkinson's Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic, Department of Neurology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA.
Background:
Functional neurological disorders are generally more common in females than males, but the reason for this gender difference is not well understood.
Objectives:
In this study, we aim to compare the clinical and demographic features of functional movement disorders (FMDs) between males and females.
Methods:
We examined clinical data and video-recordings of patients with FMDs evaluated at the Baylor College of Medicine Movement Disorders Clinic.
Results:
Of the 196 patients with FMDs, males represented only 30% (n = 59) of the entire cohort. Men had an older age at onset: 40.5 versus 34.1 years (P = 0.026) and an older age at evaluation: 43.8 versus 38.1 years (P = 0.041) compared to women. Functional dystonia was more frequently observed in women: 47.5 versus 20.3% (P < 0.001), but there was a trend for higher frequency of functional gait disorder in men: 44 versus 30% (P = 0.056). Females were particularly over-represented (73.7%) in children and adolescents; but the genders were equally represented in patients aged ≥50 years.
Conclusions:
Female patients are over-represented in FMDs, except in individuals aged ≥50 years. Compared to female patients, males with FMDs present later in life and are less likely to have functional dystonia.
