Characteristics and Prognosis of Functional Movement Disorders in China: FMD-China Registry Study

Functional movement disorders (FMDs) are common within functional neurological disorders, yet understudied in Asian populations, particularly in China. Understanding FMDs across diverse cultural and ethnic contexts is crucial for elucidating disease mechanisms and optimizing treatment strategies. This study aimed to characterize FMDs among Chinese Han individuals and identify key prognostic factors.

We enrolled 119 FMD patients from 22 centers across China. Data collected included demographics, clinical manifestations, neuropsychological assessments, and treatment details. Statistical analyses including ANOVA, chi-square tests, logistic regression, and so on were used to analyze the clinical characteristics and potential prognostic predictors of FMD patients in China.

Patients showed a mean onset age of 45.3 years, female (58.8%), and a possible bimodal age distribution (peaks at 20-30 and ≥ 60 years). Mixed phenotypes (32.8%) and tremor (29.4%) were most common, with high rates of anxiety (61.3%) and depression (53.8%), and 38.7% clinical symptom remission. Physical therapy may be a potential protective factor (OR = 0.077, p < 0.001), while trauma history (OR = 7.863, p = 0.002) and higher baseline CGI scores (OR = 1.933, p = 0.002) predicted poorer outcomes.

This first multi-center study of FMDs in China highlights a potential tendency toward a bimodal distribution, female predominance, and abnormal scores on psychiatric scales. Notably, physical therapy represents a potential protective factor, while trauma history may be a risk factor. Our findings identify the clinical profile and prognostic factors of FMDs in the Chinese population, offering valuable insights for clinical practice and future research.