The Effectiveness of Brief Multidisciplinary Outpatient Treatment for Functional Neurological Disorder: A Pilot Study

Purpose: Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a common, costly, and debilitating condition with a guarded prognosis. Limited evidence supports providers about which treatment approaches to undertake. Evidence-based care for FND is urgently needed to improve patient outcomes. The objective of this study was to evaluate functional and psychological outcomes associated with a novel outpatient multidisciplinary treatment programme for adults with FND. Method: Participants included 18 sequentially referred adults who attended the 5-day FND treatment programme, including those who completed (n = 13) and who were available for follow-up at 6 months (n = 9). Intervention included assessment and up to 5 consecutive days of treatment including two group-administered psychoeducation sessions. Primary measures included the timed up-and-go (TUG), the EQ-5D-5L index score, and the visual analogue scale (VAS), and the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). Secondary outcomes included Battery for Health Improvement-2 (BHI-2) Depression and Anxiety subscales. Results: Significant improvement was observed on COPM performance and COPM satisfaction, EQ-5D-5L index (as well as VAS), and TUG (p < 0.05) immediately following 5-day treatment. Improvement was gained at 6 months for BHI-2 Depression and Anxiety, and maintained for COPM performance, COPM satisfaction, EQ-5D-5L index, EQ-5D-5L VAS, and TUG. Conclusions: The findings of this preliminary work suggest that multidisciplinary treatment for FND has a positive impact on psychological and physical outcomes with results sustained up to 6 months.