Outpatient Motor Retraining for Functional Movement Disorder: Predictors of a Favorable Short-Term Response.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Movement Disorders

Background:

• Functional movement disorder (FMD) treatment via motor retraining is effective but requires significant resources.
• Understanding factors influencing treatment success is crucial for optimizing care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify patient, disease, and program variables associated with favorable outcomes in an intensive outpatient FMD program.
• To explore predictors of successful motor retraining for functional movement disorders.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of a 1-week intensive outpatient FMD program (February 2019 - August 2021).
• Utilized patient-reported outcomes (COPM-P, COPM-S, GROC) and investigator ratings.
• Linear regression models identified variables predicting favorable outcomes.

Main Results:

• 201 participants (74% female, mean age 46) with diverse FMD subtypes showed substantial improvement.
• Patient-reported outcomes significantly improved post-program (average COPM-P change 3.8).
• 84% of participants showed moderate to significant improvement or resolution at short-term follow-up.

Conclusions:

• A 1-week intensive program led to substantial improvements in patients with various functional movement disorder subtypes.
• Therapeutic screening and greater improvement between screening and program entry were novel predictors of positive outcomes.
• Non-motor symptoms did not hinder positive responses, though patients with predominant non-motor issues were excluded.