Article: Tremors, seizures and paralysis: this brain disorder is more common than multiple sclerosis – but often goes undiagnosed (FND)

[Sly Saint]

Article in the Conversation (prides itself on evidence based reporting and fact checking)
Author
Benjamin Scrivener
PhD Candidate, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

What is functional neurological disorder?​

Neurological disorders are conditions that affect how the nervous system works. The nervous system sends and receives messages between the brain and other parts of your body to regulate a wide range of functions, such as movement, speaking, vision, thinking and digestion.

To the untrained eye, functional neurological disorder can resemble other conditions such as stroke, multiple sclerosis or epilepsy.


But, unlike these conditions, functional neurological symptoms aren’t due to damage or a disease process affecting the nervous system. This means the disorder doesn’t appear on routine brain imaging and other tests.

Functional symptoms are, instead, due to dysfunction in the processing of information between several brain networks. Simply put, it’s a problem of the brain’s software, not the hardware.

Symptoms may include paralysis or abnormal movements such as tremors, jerks and tics. This often leads to difficulty walking or coordinating movements.

Sensory symptoms may involve numbness, tingling or loss of vision.

Dissociative symptoms, such as functional seizures and blackouts, are also common.

Some people experience cognitive symptoms including brain fog or problems finding the right words. Fatigue and chronic pain frequently coexist with these symptoms.

These symptoms can be severe and distressing and, without treatment, can persist for years. For example, some people with functional neurological disorder cannot walk and must use a wheelchair for decades.

Diagnosis involves identifying established diagnostic signs and ensuring no other diagnoses are missed. This process is best carried out by an experienced neurologist or neuropsychiatrist.

How common is it?​

Functional neurological disorder is one of the most common medical conditions seen in emergency care and in outpatient neurology clinics.

It affects around 10–22 people per 100,000 per year. This makes it more common than multiple sclerosis.

People also need accurate information about their condition, because understanding and beliefs about the disorder play an important role in recovery. Accurate information helps patients to develop more realistic expectations, reduces anxiety and can empower people to be more active in their recovery.

A dark history​

The origins of the disorder are deeply rooted in the sexist history of its pre-scientific ancestor – hysteria. The legacy of hysteria has cast a long shadow, contributing to a misogynistic bias in perception and treatment. This historical context has led to ongoing stigma, where symptoms were often labelled as psychological and not warranting treatment.

Women with functional symptoms often face scepticism and dismissal. In some cases, significant harm occurs through stigmatisation, inadequate care and poor management. Modern medicine has attempted to address these biases by recognising functional neurological disorder as a legitimate condition.

Tremors, seizures and paralysis: this brain disorder is more common than multiple sclerosis – but often goes undiagnosed

Functional neurological disorder can be hard to distinguish from other conditions. Some patients feel misunderstood and their symptoms dismissed.

theconversation.com

 

[Yann04]

So when you make the diagnostic criteria so loose it basically takes everything unexplained in, (and even some explained stuff), you can claim it’s commonly undiagnosed I guess.

 

[SNT Gatchaman]

https://theconversation.com/profiles/benjamin-scrivener-2329913

Benjamin Scrivener is a neurological physiotherapist who is experienced in treating people with functional movement disorder. He has a Masters of Health Leadership with first class honours from the University of Auckland and is completing a PhD in Functional Neurological Disorders in Aoteroa.

 

[rvallee]

Pretty ridiculous to show this definition without pointing out that it's entirely speculative and relies entirely on absence of evidence for what it is, lacking the technology and knowledge of where to look for it, rather than actual evidence.

But it's even more ridiculous to have this "dark history" party that pretends that things have changed, when in fact the ideas are exactly the same and that this is a direct continuation.

Fortunately, awareness, research and interest has grown over the past decade. Many treatment approaches are being trialled, including specialist physiotherapy, psychological therapies and non-invasive brain stimulation.

This could have been written any decade going back at least a century. And so could this piece, changing a few words, the same idea being recycled again and again because there is no accountability or pressure. None of this delivers a damn thing, there is zero evidence for any of the claims. Same as it ever was and forever will be.

The link on "specialist physiotherapy" is the Physios4FMD group, which recently published studies that were complete busts, but still claimed some vague generic benefits on uselessly biased questionnaires. The others are just as weak as any of the 'promising' stuff they have been asserting for decades.

Hysteria / conversion disorder / psychosomatic models are like the heir to the throne, forever stuck in arrested development, always a failson, incapable of delivering anything of value, yet always, just by nature, heir to the throne, always promised to have future power, and so given present power just because of it. A tool of power meant to crush opposition to power's many failures, always propped up for no reason other than a mass delusion that this could possibly deliver something, one day, a day that is forever in the future, and a present just as dark as its past.

 

[MrMagoo]

I’m concerned as to what a Masters in “Health Leadership” is

 

[Hutan]

I’m concerned as to what a Masters in “Health Leadership” is

and the fact that this person has one.

 

[SNT Gatchaman]

Grant recipient of NZ govt Health Research Council 260K award

Shining a light on functional neurological disorder in Aotearoa New Zealand

Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a common and often highly disabling condition. In Aotearoa New Zealand, there is a significant gap in clinical and research knowledge about FND. This research will shine a light on FND from several angles, including health service utilisation, patient...

www.hrc.govt.nz

Year:
2025
Duration:
36 months

Approved budget:
$260,000.00

Researchers:
Mr Benjamin Scrivener, Professor Cathy Stinear, Professor Peter Barber, Associate Professor Katrina Poppe, Dr Harry Jordan, Dr Neera Jain, Ms Melanie Grace

Host:
The University of Auckland

Health issue:
Neurological (CNS)

Proposal type:
Clinical Research Training Fellowship

Lay summary
Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a common and often highly disabling condition. In Aotearoa New Zealand, there is a significant gap in clinical and research knowledge about FND. This research will shine a light on FND from several angles, including health service utilisation, patient experience, clinical education, and the efficacy of a potential treatment. It will evaluate trends in FND incidence and healthcare utilisation using multiple large datasets. Patient experiences of FND care will be investigated through surveys and interviews. Clinical education will be assessed by analysing teaching materials from clinical health programmes. Finally, a randomised study will explore the benefits of transcranial magnetic stimulation for people with functional gait disorder. This research aims to amplify the voices of people with FND, inform resource allocation, policy decisions, and clinical education, and potentially lead to new treatment approaches that reduce disability and enhance quality of life.