Patient Perspective: Closing the Gap: Personal and Clinical Reflections on Functional Neurologic Disorder.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Neurology

Background:

• Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a condition characterized by involuntary neurological symptoms.
• These symptoms arise from brain network dysfunction with diverse biopsychosocial causes.
• Key features include symptom inconsistency and incongruence with established neurophysiology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To clarify the nature of Functional Neurological Disorder (FND).
• To emphasize that FND is not a diagnosis of exclusion.
• To highlight the availability of diagnostic criteria for FND phenotypes.

Main Methods:

• Review of current understanding of FND pathophysiology.
• Analysis of clinical features distinguishing FND.
• Examination of diagnostic criteria development for FND.

Main Results:

• FND presents with involuntary neurological symptoms linked to brain network dysfunction.
• Symptoms exhibit positive clinical signs like tremor entrainment and distractibility.
• Diagnostic criteria are established for numerous FND presentations.

Conclusions:

• Functional neurological disorder is a distinct neuropsychiatric condition.
• FND diagnosis is supported by specific criteria, not by excluding other conditions.
• Understanding FND requires considering brain network function and biopsychosocial factors.