Tactile-Induced Catalepsy for Motor FND: A Feasibility Single-Case Experimental Study and Standardized Protocol

Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a common and potentially disabling condition for which accessible, evidence-based treatments remain limited. Tactile-induced catalepsy is a novel intervention that temporarily induces increased muscle tone and postural fixation through noninvasive patterned tactile stimulation, potentially facilitating motor retraining. The authors evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and safety of tactile-induced catalepsy in motor FND.

A nonconcurrent multiple-baseline single-case experimental design study was conducted with three adults with motor FND. After a 2- to 4-week baseline phase, participants received 12 weekly sessions of tactile-induced catalepsy delivered by an FND-specialized physiotherapist. Physical functioning was assessed twice weekly by using the physical functioning subscale of the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey. Phase and time effects were analyzed with linear mixed-effects models, supplemented by reliable change indices and minimal clinically important difference thresholds.

Two participants showed statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in physical functioning during the treatment, and one had a smaller, nonsignificant improvement. No adverse events were reported, and the intervention was feasible to deliver in an outpatient setting.

Tactile-induced catalepsy was found to be feasible and associated with improved physical functioning among most participants, supporting further evaluation in larger controlled studies as a potentially accessible and scalable intervention for managing motor FND.