Functional neurological disorder: Characteristics and outcome in a limited-resources country (Sudan)

There is a scarcity of reports from limited-resources countries on functional neurological disorder (FND). We therefore carried out this descriptive study from Sudan to highlight the clinical characteristics of patients and the cultural, diagnostic, and management outcome.

Of 1000 new referrals and patients seen at a central neuropsychiatric clinic in Khartoum, Sudan, 40 fulfilled the criteria for FND. Subjects were diagnosed by excluding organic illness and confirming psychological distress through neuropsychological assessment and clinical interview. Mood was measured using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scales.

Young unemployed women constituted 60% of our sample. Most subjects presented with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (82.5%), speech abnormalities (47.5%), and limb paralysis or weakness was (35%). Associated mood disorder was found in 97.5% of all subjects. However, 95% of our sample showed a remarkable clinical response to combination therapy (antidepressants and psychotherapy).

Patients with FND showed strong evidence of comorbid affective disorders in the form of depression and anxiety disorder. Most patients (95%) responded well to combination therapy with antidepressants and psychotherapy. Sociodemographic correlates of FND in Sudan prove to be consistent with features found in Western cultures, with only minor idiosyncratic characteristics due to local culture.