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Little J, Higgins M, Palepu R. Long COVID - Can we deny a diagnosis without denying a person's reality? Australas Psychiatry 2024; 32:44-46. [PMID: 38111277 DOI: 10.1177/10398562231222809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim is to consider Long COVID not as a new clinical entity but as another example of a disabling, historical phenomenon. CONCLUSIONS A triad of polymorphic symptomatology, an elusive pathophysiological explanation and a hostile defensiveness has appeared throughout history. The reluctance to consider these contextually may delay early intervention and appropriate patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Little
- Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand
| | | | - Radhika Palepu
- Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand
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2
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McLoughlin C, Hoeritzauer I, Cabreira V, Aybek S, Adams C, Alty J, Ball HA, Baker J, Bullock K, Burness C, Dworetzky BA, Finkelstein S, Garcin B, Gelauff J, Goldstein LH, Jordbru A, Huys ACM, Laffan A, Lidstone SC, Linden SC, Ludwig L, Maggio J, Morgante F, Mallam E, Nicholson C, O'Neal M, O'Sullivan S, Pareés I, Petrochilos P, Pick S, Phillips W, Roelofs K, Newby R, Stanton B, Gray C, Joyce EM, Tijssen MA, Chalder T, McCormick M, Gardiner P, Bègue I, Tuttle MC, Williams I, McRae S, Voon V, McWhirter L. Functional neurological disorder is a feminist issue. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2023; 94:855-862. [PMID: 36977553 PMCID: PMC10511956 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2022-330192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a common and disabling disorder, often misunderstood by clinicians. Although viewed sceptically by some, FND is a diagnosis that can be made accurately, based on positive clinical signs, with clinical features that have remained stable for over 100 years. Despite some progress in the last decade, people with FND continue to suffer subtle and overt forms of discrimination by clinicians, researchers and the public. There is abundant evidence that disorders perceived as primarily affecting women are neglected in healthcare and medical research, and the course of FND mirrors this neglect. We outline the reasons why FND is a feminist issue, incorporating historical and contemporary clinical, research and social perspectives. We call for parity for FND in medical education, research and clinical service development so that people affected by FND can receive the care they need.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caoimhe McLoughlin
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ingrid Hoeritzauer
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Verónica Cabreira
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Neurology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de São João, Porto, Portugal
| | - Selma Aybek
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Hopitaux Universitaires de Geneve, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Inselspital Universitatsspital Bern Universitatsklinik fur Neurologie, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Caitlin Adams
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jane Alty
- College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
- Neurology, Royal Hobart Hospital, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Harriet A Ball
- Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol Faculty of Health Sciences, Bristol, UK
- Neurology, North Bristol NHS Trust, Westbury on Trym, UK
| | - Janet Baker
- Randwick Specialist Centre, Private Practice, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
- College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Kim Bullock
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | | | - Barbara A Dworetzky
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sara Finkelstein
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Jeannette Gelauff
- Department of Neurology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Laura H Goldstein
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Anika Jordbru
- Faculty of Humanities, Sport and Educational Science, University of South-Eastern Norway, Kongsberg, Norway
| | - Anne-Catherine Ml Huys
- Department of Neurology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Aoife Laffan
- Neurology, St. James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sarah C Lidstone
- University Health Network and the University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stefanie Caroline Linden
- Department of Health, Ethics and Society, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Lea Ludwig
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Julie Maggio
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Physical Therapy and Functional Neurological Disorder Unit and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Francesca Morgante
- Neurosciences Research Centre, Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Elizabeth Mallam
- The Rosa Burden Centre, Southmead Hospital, North Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol, UK
| | - Clare Nicholson
- Therapy Services, National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Mary O'Neal
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Isabel Pareés
- Movement Disorders Program, Neurology Deparment Hospital Ruber Internacional, Madrid, Spain
- Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Department, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Susannah Pick
- Section of Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - Wendy Phillips
- Department of Neurology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Karin Roelofs
- Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour: Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Rachel Newby
- Neurology, Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Cordelia Gray
- Neurology Psychotherapy Service, Sheffield Teaching Hospital, Academic Neurology Unit, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Eileen M Joyce
- Neuropsychiatry, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Marina Aj Tijssen
- Expertise Center Movement Disorders Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Trudie Chalder
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Maxanne McCormick
- Physician assistant/patient with FND, FNDRecovery.com, -, Monument CO, USA
| | - Paula Gardiner
- Psychological Therapy in Primary Care, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
- enhance-cbt.com therapist, NeuroSpecialist Physiotherapist, Stirling, UK
| | - Indrit Bègue
- Department of Psychiatry, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneve, Switzerland
| | - Margaret C Tuttle
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Functional Neurological Disorder Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Isobel Williams
- Neuropsychology, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sarah McRae
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Valerie Voon
- Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Laura McWhirter
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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3
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Kelmanson AN, Kalichman L, Treger I. Physical Rehabilitation of Motor Functional Neurological Disorders: A Narrative Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:ijerph20105793. [PMID: 37239521 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20105793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Functional Neurological Disorders (FNDs) are one of the most common and disabling neurological disorders, affecting approximately 10-30% of patients in neurology clinics. FNDs manifest as a range of motor, sensory, and cognitive symptoms that are not explained by organic disease. This narrative review aims to assess the current state of knowledge in physical-based rehabilitation for motor/movement FNDs in the adult population, with the goal of improving research and medical care for this patient population. To ensure optimal outcomes for patients, it is critical to consider several domains pertaining to FNDs, including which field of discipline they should belong to, how to investigate and test, methods for rating outcome measures, and optimal courses of treatment. In the past, FNDs were primarily treated with psychiatric and psychological interventions. However, recent literature supports the inclusion of physical rehabilitation in the treatment of FNDs. Specifically, physical-based approaches tailored to FNDs have shown promising results. This review utilized a comprehensive search of multiple databases and inclusion criteria to identify relevant studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayelet N Kelmanson
- Department of Physical Therapy, Recanati School for Community Health Professions, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Leonid Kalichman
- Department of Physical Therapy, Recanati School for Community Health Professions, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Iuly Treger
- Department of Rehabilitation, Soroka Medical Center, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
- Department of Medicine, Faculty for Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
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Milano BA, Moutoussis M, Convertino L. The neurobiology of functional neurological disorders characterised by impaired awareness. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1122865. [PMID: 37009094 PMCID: PMC10060839 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1122865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
We review the neurobiology of Functional Neurological Disorders (FND), i.e., neurological disorders not explained by currently identifiable histopathological processes, in order to focus on those characterised by impaired awareness (functionally impaired awareness disorders, FIAD), and especially, on the paradigmatic case of Resignation Syndrome (RS). We thus provide an improved more integrated theory of FIAD, able to guide both research priorities and the diagnostic formulation of FIAD. We systematically address the diverse spectrum of clinical presentations of FND with impaired awareness, and offer a new framework for understanding FIAD. We find that unraveling the historical development of neurobiological theory of FIAD is of paramount importance for its current understanding. Then, we integrate contemporary clinical material in order to contextualise the neurobiology of FIAD within social, cultural, and psychological perspectives. We thus review neuro-computational insights in FND in general, to arrive at a more coherent account of FIAD. FIAD may be based on maladaptive predictive coding, shaped by stress, attention, uncertainty, and, ultimately, neurally encoded beliefs and their updates. We also critically appraise arguments in support of and against such Bayesian models. Finally, we discuss implications of our theoretical account and provide pointers towards an improved clinical diagnostic formulation of FIAD. We suggest directions for future research towards a more unified theory on which future interventions and management strategies could be based, as effective treatments and clinical trial evidence remain limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Annunziata Milano
- Institute of Life Sciences, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy
- Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Michael Moutoussis
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery (UCLH), London, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Convertino
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery (UCLH), London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Laura Convertino,
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5
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Gouveia L, Mandlate F, Ziebold C, Fumo W, Mabunda D, Lovero KL, Fumo AMT, dos Santos P, Palha AP, Mocumbi AO, Oquendo MA, Wainberg ML, Duarte CS, Mari JJ. Emotional contagion behavior in a group of young girls in a secondary school in Maputo, Mozambique. Int J Soc Psychiatry 2023; 69:447-453. [PMID: 35841157 PMCID: PMC11023688 DOI: 10.1177/00207640221111265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emotional Contagion Behavior (ECB), the synchronized expression of emotional symptoms among members of a group, has been observed globally. In Mozambique, there have been numerous reports of ECB in recent years. Since 2010 several girls from a secondary school in Maputo City, Mozambique exhibited ECB which involved repeated fainting spells, sometimes including verbal aggression and threats to colleagues and teachers. We conducted a study to analyze sociodemographic and clinical characteristics associated with ECB. METHODS This cross-sectional study included 154 females aged from 16 to 24 years old. We considered emotional contagion behavior as repeated fainting spells, sometimes including verbal aggression and threats to others (colleagues and teachers). Participants responded to a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Beck Anxiety Scale, and the revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-R). Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models analyzed sociodemographic and clinical characteristics associated with EBC. RESULTS Among study participants, 57 presented ECB and 97 did not. The likelihood of ECB was higher among those with previous history of ECB (OR = 8.28, 95% CI [2.51, 27.30]; p ⩽ .001) and extroverted personality profile (OR = 1.15, 95% CI [1.01, 1.30]; p = .038). Having a romantic relationship was related to lower likelihood of having ECB (OR = 0.04, 95% CI [0.01, 0.19]; p = .001). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that ECB may repeat over time and be related to challenges pertaining to personality development, the presence of sexual life, and close relationships with peers faced by adolescent girls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lίdia Gouveia
- Department of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Maputo, Mozambique
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Flávio Mandlate
- Department of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Carolina Ziebold
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Wilza Fumo
- Department of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Maputo, Mozambique
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Dirceu Mabunda
- Department of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Kathryn L Lovero
- Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, NY, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Maria A Oquendo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Milton L Wainberg
- Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, NY, USA
| | - Cristiane S Duarte
- Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, NY, USA
| | - Jair J Mari
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil
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6
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Mancini M, Scudiero M, Mignogna S, Urso V, Stanghellini G. Se-duction is not sex-duction: Desexualizing and de-feminizing hysteria. Front Psychol 2022; 13:963117. [PMID: 36211916 PMCID: PMC9539115 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.963117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The psychopathological analysis of hysteria is a victim of narrow conceptualizations. Among these is the inscription of hysteria in the feminine sphere, about body and sexuality, which incentivized conceptual reductionism. Hysteria has been mainly considered a gendered pathology, almost exclusively female, and it has been associated with cultural and/or religious features over time rather than treated as a psychopathological world. Further, hysteria has been dominated by conceptual inaccuracies and indecision, not only in terms of clinical features but also in terms of its definition. For this reason, it seems necessary to “undress” hysteria from this feminization, sexualization, and corporealization with which it has been abundantly clothed over the years. “Undressing” hysteria will make possible a reconfiguring and deconstructing of the explanatory-causal model of Charcot and Freud. However, if we take out this cultural heritage, the stigma accompanying this diagnosis, and the weight of the enormous historical tradition that hysteria carries, the world of hysteria continues to constitute a domain full of complexity and nosographic challenges. Hysteria has been considered a sum of psychological behaviors and states illustrated by drama, mystery, or falsity. The difficulty in understanding the multiple somatic manifestations which characterize this clinical condition created several controversies and much confusion. In the current nosography, the personological component of hysteria has been separated from its symptomatic manifestation, in the Histrionic Personality Disorder and Conversion Disorder categories, respectively. This segmentation by descriptive nosography does contribute to a unitary understanding of the phenomenon and, consequently, of daily clinical practice. Clinical complexity can be grasped and deciphered only if the symptom is inscribed in the patient’s lifeworld and his/her subjective life history. Clinical practice is thus thought of in terms of a structural aggregation of a homogeneous set of phenomena, together constituting a specific way of being in the world. The starting point of this article is the evident modalities characterizing this life-world, taking care not to confuse the point of origin with the point of expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Mancini
- Department of Psychological, Humanistic, and Territorial Sciences, University “G. D’Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy
- *Correspondence: Milena Mancini, ,
| | - Martina Scudiero
- Department of Psychological, Humanistic, and Territorial Sciences, University “G. D’Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy
| | - Silvio Mignogna
- Department of Psychological, Humanistic, and Territorial Sciences, University “G. D’Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy
| | - Valentina Urso
- Department of Psychological, Humanistic, and Territorial Sciences, University “G. D’Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy
| | - Giovanni Stanghellini
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- Centro de Estudios de Fenomenologia y Psiquiatrías – Diego Portales’ University, Santiago, Chile
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7
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Freedman D. Functional Neurological Disorders in Children - A Historical Perspective. Semin Pediatr Neurol 2022; 41:100950. [PMID: 35450665 DOI: 10.1016/j.spen.2021.100950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The modern diagnosis of functional neurological disorders (FND) describes a diverse set of neurological symptoms without identifiable pathology. The history of FND and its prescientific predecessor, hysteria, is complex and deeply rooted in sexism. Key moments in this history have contributed to the advancement of understanding in functional disorders that neurologists should be aware of. Although pediatric FND has a much less extensive historical literature, there are many parallels between it and the initial interest in hysteria by Charcot and other early modern neurologists. This was followed by waning neurological attention as psychiatrists promoted conversion disorder in the early 1900s. Towards the end of the 20th century, neurologists have taken a renewed, collaborative role with psychiatry and other disciplines to diagnose and study FND.
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Mark VW. Functional neurological disorder: Extending the diagnosis to other disorders, and proposing an alternate disease term—Attentionally-modifiable disorder. NeuroRehabilitation 2022; 50:179-207. [DOI: 10.3233/nre-228003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The term “functional neurological disorder,” or “FND,” applies to disorders whose occurrence of neurological symptoms fluctuate with the patient’s attention to them. However, many other disorders that are not called “FND” nonetheless can also follow this pattern. Consequently, guidelines are unclear for diagnosing “FND.” OBJECTIVE: To review the neurological conditions that follow this pattern, but which have not so far been termed “FND,” to understand their overlap with conditions that have been termed “FND,” and to discuss the rationale for why FND has not been diagnosed for them. METHOD: A systematic review of the PubMed literature registry using the terms “fluctuation,” “inconsistency,” or “attention” did not yield much in the way of these candidate disorders. Consequently, this review instead relied on the author’s personal library of peer-reviewed studies of disorders that have resembled FND but which were not termed this way, due to his longstanding interest in this problem. Consequently, this approach was not systematic and was subjective regarding disease inclusion. RESULTS: This review identified numerous, diverse conditions that generally involve fluctuating neurological symptoms that can vary with the person’s attention to them, but which have not been called “FND.” The literature was unclear for reasons for not referring to “FND” in these instances. CONCLUSION: Most likely because of historical biases, the use of the term “FND” has been unnecessarily restricted. Because at its core FND is an attentionally-influenced disorder that can respond well to behavioral treatments, the field of neurological rehabilitation could benefit by extending the range of conditions that could be considered as “FND” and referred for similar behavioral treatments. Because the term “FND” has been viewed unfavorably by some patients and clinical practitioners and whose treatment is not implied, the alternative term attentionally-modifiable disorder is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor W. Mark
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
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9
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Ertan D, Aybek S, LaFrance WC, Kanemoto K, Tarrada A, Maillard L, El-Hage W, Hingray C. Functional (psychogenic non-epileptic/dissociative) seizures: why and how? J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2022; 93:144-157. [PMID: 34824146 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2021-326708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Functional seizures (FS) known also as psychogenic non-epileptic seizures or dissociative seizures, present with ictal semiological manifestations, along with various comorbid neurological and psychological disorders. Terminology inconsistencies and discrepancies in nomenclatures of FS may reflect limitations in understanding the neuropsychiatric intricacies of this disorder. Psychological and neurobiological processes of FS are incompletely understood. Nevertheless, important advances have been made on underlying neuropsychopathophysiological mechanisms of FS. These advances provide valuable information about the underlying mechanisms of mind-body interactions. From this perspective, this narrative review summarises recent studies about aetiopathogenesis of FS at two levels: possible risk factors (why) and different aetiopathogenic models of FS (how). We divided possible risk factors for FS into three categories, namely neurobiological, psychological and cognitive risk factors. We also presented different models of FS based on psychological and neuroanatomical understanding, multilevel models and integrative understanding of FS. This work should help professionals to better understand current views on the multifactorial mechanisms involved in the development of FS. Shedding light on the different FS profiles in terms of aetiopathogenesis will help guide how best to direct therapy, based on these different underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deniz Ertan
- CRAN,UMR7039, Centre de Recherche en Automatique de Nancy, Vandoeuvre les Nancy, Grand Est, France.,Unité de recherche clinique, Établissement Médical de La Teppe, Tain-l'Hermitage, France
| | - Selma Aybek
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Hopitaux Universitaires de Geneve, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Inselspital Universitatsspital Bern Universitatsklinik fur Neurologie, Bern, Switzerland
| | - W Curt LaFrance
- Psychiatry and Neurology, Brown Medical School Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Kousuke Kanemoto
- Neuropsychiatric Department, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Aichi, Japan
| | - Alexis Tarrada
- Neurology Department, CHRU de Nancy, Nancy, Lorraine, France.,University Psychiatry Department, Centre Psychothérapique de Nancy, Laxou, Lorraine, France
| | - Louis Maillard
- CRAN,UMR7039, Centre de Recherche en Automatique de Nancy, Vandoeuvre les Nancy, Grand Est, France.,Neurology Department, CHRU de Nancy, Nancy, Lorraine, France
| | - Wissam El-Hage
- Department of Psychiatry, CHRU Tours, Tours, Centre, France
| | - Coraline Hingray
- Neurology Department, CHRU de Nancy, Nancy, Lorraine, France .,University Psychiatry Department, Centre Psychothérapique de Nancy, Laxou, Lorraine, France
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10
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Abstract
Functional neurological disorder (FND), previously regarded as a diagnosis of exclusion, is now a rule-in diagnosis with available treatments. This represents a major step toward destigmatizing the disorder, which was often doubted and deemed untreatable. FND is prevalent, generally affecting young and middle aged adults, and can cause severe disability in some individuals. An early diagnosis, with subsequent access to evidence based rehabilitative and/or psychological treatments, can promote recovery-albeit not all patients respond to currently available treatments. This review presents the latest advances in the use of validated rule-in examination signs to guide diagnosis, and the range of therapeutic approaches available to care for patients with FND. The article focuses on the two most frequently identified subtypes of FND: motor (weakness and/or movement disorders) and seizure type symptoms. Twenty two studies on motor and 27 studies on seizure type symptoms report high specificities of clinical signs (64-100%), and individual signs are reviewed. Rehabilitative interventions (physical and occupational therapy) are treatments of choice for functional motor symptoms, while psychotherapy is an emerging evidence based treatment across FND subtypes. The literature to date highlights heterogeneity in responses to treatment, underscoring that more research is needed to individualize treatments and develop novel interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selma Aybek
- Neurology Department, Psychosomatic Medicine Unit, Inselspital University Hospital, Bern, and Bern University, Bern, Switzerland
| | - David L Perez
- Divisions of Cognitive Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychiatry, Functional Neurological Disorder Unit, Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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11
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Benbadis S, Ledford R, Sawchuk T, Dworetzky B. A Broader Perspective: Functional Symptoms Beyond Neurology. Epilepsy Behav Rep 2021; 18:100506. [PMID: 35198949 PMCID: PMC8850744 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebr.2021.100506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional (psychogenic) symptoms exist in all specialties. They are by definition not under voluntary control, unlike factitious disorders and malingering. The diagnostic approach to functional symptoms varies among specialties.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Benbadis
- University of South Florida, United States
- Corresponding author.
| | - R. Ledford
- University of South Florida, United States
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12
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Hull M, Parnes M, Jankovic J. Increased Incidence of Functional (Psychogenic) Movement Disorders in Children and Adults Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-sectional Study. Neurol Clin Pract 2021; 11:e686-e690. [PMID: 34840884 PMCID: PMC8610548 DOI: 10.1212/cpj.0000000000001082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Functional (psychogenic) movement disorders (FMDs) are conditions in which affected patients develop abnormal movements that are incongruous with known, organic, movement disorders, often associated with psychological stressors. METHODS In this case series, electronic medical records of all patients who presented to our adult and pediatric tertiary care movement disorders clinics between March 1 and October 30, 2020, and during the same period in 2019 were reviewed. All patients diagnosed with functional (psychogenic) movement disorder were included if they satisfied diagnostic criteria. RESULTS Among 550 new patients referred for evaluation at our tertiary care movement disorders centers, 45 (8.2%) received a diagnosis of FMD; 75.6% were female, in comparison to the prior year during which time 665 new patients were evaluated and 5.1% were diagnosed with FMD. This represents a 60.1% increase (90.1% in pediatric cohort, 50.9% in adult cohort) in new patients diagnosed with FMD during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS Within our patient population, there has been increased incidence of FMDs in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic, possibly reflecting increased psychological and other stressors during this period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariam Hull
- Section of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience (MH, MP), Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine; and Department of Neurology (MH, MP, JJ), Parkinson's Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Mered Parnes
- Section of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience (MH, MP), Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine; and Department of Neurology (MH, MP, JJ), Parkinson's Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Joseph Jankovic
- Section of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience (MH, MP), Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine; and Department of Neurology (MH, MP, JJ), Parkinson's Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
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13
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Stewart B, Dean JG, Koek A, Chua J, Wabl R, Martin K, Davoodian N, Becker C, Himedan M, Kim A, Albin R, Chou KL, Kotagal V. Psychedelic-assisted therapy for functional neurological disorders: A theoretical framework and review of prior reports. Pharmacol Res Perspect 2021; 8:e00688. [PMID: 33280274 PMCID: PMC7719191 DOI: 10.1002/prp2.688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional neurological disorders (FNDs), which are sometimes also referred to as psychogenic neurological disorders or conversion disorder, are common disabling neuropsychiatric disorders with limited treatment options. FNDs can present with sensory and/or motor symptoms, and, though they may mimic other neurological conditions, they are thought to occur via mechanisms other than those related to identifiable structural neuropathology and, in many cases, appear to be triggered and sustained by recognizable psychological factors. There is intriguing preliminary evidence to support the use of psychedelic‐assisted therapy in a growing number of psychiatric illnesses, including FNDs. We review the theoretical arguments for and against exploring psychedelic‐assisted therapy as a treatment for FNDs. We also provide an in‐depth discussion of prior published cases detailing the use of psychedelics for psychosomatic conditions, analyzing therapeutic outcomes from a contemporary neuroscientific vantage as informed by several recent neuroimaging studies on psychedelics and FNDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Stewart
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jon G Dean
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Adriana Koek
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jason Chua
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Rafael Wabl
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Kayla Martin
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | | | - Mai Himedan
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Amanda Kim
- University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Roger Albin
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Kelvin L Chou
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Vikas Kotagal
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Spagnolo PA, Garvey M, Hallett M. A dimensional approach to functional movement disorders: Heresy or opportunity. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 127:25-36. [PMID: 33848511 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Functional movement disorders (FMD) are a common and disabling neuropsychiatric condition, part of the spectrum of functional neurological/conversion disorder. FMD represent one of the most enigmatic disorders in the history of medicine. However, in the twenty years after the first report of distinctive abnormal brain activity associated with functional motor symptoms, there have been tremendous advances in the pathophysiologic understanding of these disorders. FMD can be characterized as a disorder of aberrant neurocircuitry interacting with environmental and genetic factors. These developments suggest that research on FMD could be better served by an integrative, neuroscience-based approach focused on functional domains and their neurobiological substrates. This approach has been developed in 'Research Domain Criteria' (RDoC) project, which promotes a dimensional approach to psychiatric disorders. Here, we use the RDoC conceptualization to review recent neuroscience research on FMD, focusing on the domains most relevant to these disorders. We discuss how the adoption of a similar integrative framework may facilitate the identification of the mechanisms underlying FMD and could also have potential clinical applicability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Primavera A Spagnolo
- Mary Horrigan Connors Center for Women's Health and Gender Biology, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Human Motor Control Section, Medical Neurology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Marjorie Garvey
- Novel Strategies for Treatment of Developmental Psychopathology Program, Biomarker and Intervention Development for Childhood-Onset Mental Disorders Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mark Hallett
- Human Motor Control Section, Medical Neurology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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15
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Larner AJ. Michael Faraday's "loss of memory" revisited. JOURNAL OF THE HISTORY OF THE NEUROSCIENCES 2021; 30:155-162. [PMID: 32936712 DOI: 10.1080/0964704x.2020.1814978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In the mid-1970s, the psychiatrist Edward Hare published two accounts of Michael Faraday's memory symptoms, based upon which he suggested the diagnostic possibilities of an amnesic syndrome related to a transient ischemic attack in the vertebrobasilar cerebrovascular system. This article revisits the contemporary evidence of Faraday's letters and the notes of his physician, Peter Mere Latham, and considers subsequent responses to and shortcomings of Hare's analysis. In light of more recent conceptualizations of memory disorders, a new formulation for Faraday's memory symptoms is suggested: namely, that he manifested a functional cognitive disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Larner
- Cognitive Function Clinic, Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Liverpool, UK
- History of Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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16
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Sojka P, Paredes-Echeverri S, Perez DL. Are Functional (Psychogenic Nonepileptic) Seizures the Sole Expression of Psychological Processes? Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2021; 55:329-351. [PMID: 33768494 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2021_225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Functional [psychogenic nonepileptic/dissociative] seizures (FND-seiz) and related functional neurological disorder subtypes were of immense interest to early founders of modern-day neurology and psychiatry. Unfortunately, the divide that occurred between the both specialties throughout the mid-twentieth century placed FND-seiz at the borderland between the two disciplines. In the process, a false Cartesian dualism emerged that labeled psychiatric conditions as impairments of the mind and neurological conditions as disturbances in structural neuroanatomy. Excitingly, modern-day neuropsychiatric perspectives now consider neurologic and psychiatric conditions as disorders of both brain and mind. In this article, we aim to integrate neurologic and psychiatric perspectives in the conceptual framing of FND-seiz. In doing so, we explore emerging relationships between symptoms, neuropsychological constructs, brain networks, and neuroendocrine/autonomic biomarkers of disease. Evidence suggests that the neuropsychological constructs of emotion processing, attention, interoception, and self-agency are important in the pathophysiology of FND-seiz. Furthermore, FND-seiz is a multi-network brain disorder, with evidence supporting roles for disturbances within and across the salience, limbic, attentional, multimodal integration, and sensorimotor networks. Risk factors, including the magnitude of previously experienced adverse life events, relate to individual differences in network architecture and neuroendocrine profiles. The time has come to use an integrated neuropsychiatric approach that embraces the closely intertwined relationship between physical health and mental health to conceptualize FND-seiz and related functional neurological disorder subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petr Sojka
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Sara Paredes-Echeverri
- Functional Neurological Disorder Research Program, Cognitive Behavioral Neurology Divisions, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David L Perez
- Functional Neurological Disorder Research Program, Cognitive Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychiatry Divisions, Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Frucht L, Perez DL, Callahan J, MacLean J, Song PC, Sharma N, Stephen CD. Functional Dystonia: Differentiation From Primary Dystonia and Multidisciplinary Treatments. Front Neurol 2021; 11:605262. [PMID: 33613415 PMCID: PMC7894256 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.605262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Dystonia is a common movement disorder, involving sustained muscle contractions, often resulting in twisting and repetitive movements and abnormal postures. Dystonia may be primary, as the sole feature (isolated) or in combination with other movement disorders (combined dystonia), or as one feature of another neurological process (secondary dystonia). The current hypothesis is that dystonia is a disorder of distributed brain networks, including the basal ganglia, cerebellum, thalamus and the cortex resulting in abnormal neural motor programs. In comparison, functional dystonia (FD) may resemble other forms of dystonia (OD) but has a different pathophysiology, as a subtype of functional movement disorders (FMD). FD is the second most common FMD and amongst the most diagnostically challenging FMD subtypes. Therefore, distinguishing between FD and OD is important, as the management of these disorders is distinct. There are also different pathophysiological underpinnings in FD, with for example evidence of involvement of the right temporoparietal junction in functional movement disorders that is believed to serve as a general comparator of internal predictions/motor intentions with actual motor events resulting in disturbances in self-agency. In this article, we present a comprehensive review across the spectrum of FD, including oromandibular and vocal forms and discuss the history, clinical clues, evidence for adjunctive "laboratory-based" testing, pathophysiological research and prognosis data. We also provide the approach used at the Massachusetts General Hospital Dystonia Center toward the diagnosis, management and treatment of FD. A multidisciplinary approach, including neurology, psychiatry, physical, occupational therapy and speech therapy, and cognitive behavioral psychotherapy approaches are frequently required; pharmacological approaches, including possible targeted use of botulinum toxin injections and inpatient programs are considerations in some patients. Early diagnosis and treatment may help prevent unnecessary investigations and procedures, while facilitating the appropriate management of these highly complex patients, which may help to mitigate frequently poor clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Frucht
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - David L. Perez
- Cognitive Behavioral Neurology Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Functional Neurological Disorder Research Program, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Neuropsychiatry Division, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Janet Callahan
- MGH Institute of Healthcare Professionals, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Julie MacLean
- Occupational Therapy Department, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Phillip C. Song
- Department of Otolaryngology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Nutan Sharma
- Functional Neurological Disorder Research Program, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Dystonia Center and Movement Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Christopher D. Stephen
- Functional Neurological Disorder Research Program, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Dystonia Center and Movement Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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18
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Scamvougeras A, Howard A. Somatic Symptom Disorder, Medically Unexplained Symptoms, Somatoform Disorders, Functional Neurological Disorder: How DSM-5 Got It Wrong. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY. REVUE CANADIENNE DE PSYCHIATRIE 2020; 65:301-305. [PMID: 32191123 PMCID: PMC7265612 DOI: 10.1177/0706743720912858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anton Scamvougeras
- UBC Neuropsychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Andrew Howard
- UBC Neuropsychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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19
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Personality profile of the primary blepharospasm (BSP): An investigation using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. Neurosci Lett 2020; 722:134821. [PMID: 32035164 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.134821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2019] [Revised: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore whether patients with blepharospasm (BSP) have abnormal personality traits by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) questionnaire. METHOD The personality profiles of patients with BSP and its relationship with clinical characteristics were assessed in this research. 46 patients with BSP and 33 age-and-gender matched healthy controls were assessed using the MMPI questionnaire. The scores of three validity scales and ten clinical scales were calculated and compared. Then the relationship between those scales and clinical characteristics of patients with BSP was analyzed in the BSP group. RESULTS It was found that patients with BSP scored significantly higher than healthy controls on the D, Hy, Pt clinical scales. The peak values of profiles were Hy, D, Hs scale scores. However, there was no statistical relationship between the clinical scales of MMPI and the clinical characteristics of BSP after Bonferroni Correction. CONCLUSION The findings indicated that MMPI could be a useful psychometric tool to characterize a specific pattern of the personality of BSP patients and BSP patients may have avoidant and somatization personality characteristics.
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20
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Baizabal-Carvallo JF, Jankovic J. Gender Differences in Functional Movement Disorders. Mov Disord Clin Pract 2019; 7:182-187. [PMID: 32071937 DOI: 10.1002/mdc3.12864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Revised: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Functional neurological disorders are generally more common in females than males, but the reason for this gender difference is not well understood. Objectives In this study, we aim to compare the clinical and demographic features of functional movement disorders (FMDs) between males and females. Methods We examined clinical data and video-recordings of patients with FMDs evaluated at the Baylor College of Medicine Movement Disorders Clinic. Results Of the 196 patients with FMDs, males represented only 30% (n = 59) of the entire cohort. Men had an older age at onset: 40.5 versus 34.1 years (P = 0.026) and an older age at evaluation: 43.8 versus 38.1 years (P = 0.041) compared to women. Functional dystonia was more frequently observed in women: 47.5 versus 20.3% (P < 0.001), but there was a trend for higher frequency of functional gait disorder in men: 44 versus 30% (P = 0.056). Females were particularly over-represented (73.7%) in children and adolescents; but the genders were equally represented in patients aged ≥50 years. Conclusions Female patients are over-represented in FMDs, except in individuals aged ≥50 years. Compared to female patients, males with FMDs present later in life and are less likely to have functional dystonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Fidel Baizabal-Carvallo
- Parkinson's Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic, Department of Neurology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA.,Department of Internal Medicine University of Guanajuato Leon México
| | - Joseph Jankovic
- Parkinson's Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic, Department of Neurology Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA
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21
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen Cassady
- Dr. Cassady is a second-year resident in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland/Sheppard Pratt Residency Program, Baltimore
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22
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Structural alterations in functional neurological disorder and related conditions: a software and hardware problem? NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2019; 22:101798. [PMID: 31146322 PMCID: PMC6484222 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2019.101798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Functional neurological (conversion) disorder (FND) is a condition at the interface of neurology and psychiatry. A “software” vs. “hardware” analogy describes abnormal neurobiological mechanisms occurring in the context of intact macroscopic brain structure. While useful for explanatory and treatment models, this framework may require more nuanced considerations in the context of quantitative structural neuroimaging findings in FND. Moreover, high co-occurrence of FND and somatic symptom disorders (SSD) as defined in DSM-IV (somatization disorder, somatoform pain disorder, and undifferentiated somatoform disorder; referred to as SSD for brevity in this article) raises the possibility of a partially overlapping pathophysiology. In this systematic review, we use a transdiagnostic approach to review and appraise the structural neuroimaging literature in FND and SSD. While larger sample size studies are needed for definitive characterization, this article highlights that individuals with FND and SSD may exhibit sensorimotor, prefrontal, striatal-thalamic, paralimbic, and limbic structural alterations. The structural neuroimaging literature is contextualized within the neurobiology of stress-related neuroplasticity, gender differences, psychiatric comorbidities, and the greater spectrum of functional somatic disorders. Future directions that could accelerate the characterization of the pathophysiology of FND and DSM-5 SSD are outlined, including “disease staging” discussions to contextualize subgroups with or without structural changes. Emerging neuroimaging evidence suggests that some individuals with FND and SSD may have a “software” and “hardware” problem, although if structural alterations are present the neural mechanisms of functional disorders remain distinct from lesional neurological conditions. Furthermore, it remains unclear whether structural alterations relate to predisposing vulnerabilities or consequences of the disorder. Transdiagnostic systematic review of structural MRI studies in FND and SSD Sensorimotor-striatothalamic-limbic-paralimbic circuits implicated in both conditions. Some small sample size FND studies did not show group-level structural alterations. MRI alterations may relate to risk factors, compensatory changes or disease mechanisms. Early-phase discussion on disease-staging algorithms outlined as a future direction.
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Baizabal-Carvallo JF, Hallett M, Jankovic J. Pathogenesis and pathophysiology of functional (psychogenic) movement disorders. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 127:32-44. [PMID: 30798005 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Revised: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional movement disorders (FMDs), known over time as "hysteria", "dissociative", "conversion", "somatoform", "non-organic" and "psychogenic" disorders, are characterized by having a voluntary quality, being modifiable by attention and distraction but perceived by the patient as involuntary. Although a high prevalence of depression and anxiety is observed in these patients, a definitive role of psychiatric disorders in FMDs has not been proven, and many patients do not endorse such manifestations. Stressful events, social influences and minor trauma may precede the onset of FMDs, but their pathogenic mechanisms are unclear. Patients with FMDs have several abnormalities in their neurobiology including strengthened connectivity between the limbic and motor networks. Additionally, there is altered top-down regulation of motor activities and increased activation of areas implicated in self-awareness, self-monitoring, and active motor inhibition such as the cingulate and insular cortex. Decreased activation of the supplementary motor area (SMA) and pre-SMA, implicated in motor control and preparation, is another finding. The sense of agency defined as the feeling of controlling external events through one's own action also seems to be impaired in individuals with FMDs. Correlating with this is a loss of intentional binding, a subjective time compression between intentional action and its sensory consequences. Organic and functional dystonia may be difficult to differentiate since they share diverse neurophysiological features including decreased cortical inhibition, and similar local field potentials in the globus pallidus and thalamus; although increased cortical plasticity is observed only in patients with organic dystonia. Advances in the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of FMDs may be helpful to understand the nature of these disorders and plan further treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Fidel Baizabal-Carvallo
- Parkinson's Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic, Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; University of Guanajuato, Mexico.
| | - Mark Hallett
- Human Motor Control Section, NINDS, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Joseph Jankovic
- Parkinson's Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic, Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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Gendre T, Carle G, Mesrati F, Hubsch C, Mauras T, Roze E, Houot M, Degos B, Garcin B. Quality of life in functional movement disorders is as altered as in organic movement disorders. J Psychosom Res 2019; 116:10-16. [PMID: 30654984 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2018.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2018] [Revised: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/10/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Patients with functional movement disorders (FMD) often report a disability and psychiatric comorbidities. However, few studies have compared these aspects in FMD and in organic movement disorders (OMD). The objectives were to compare QoL and psychiatric comorbidities of FMD and OMD patients. METHODS Twenty-one and 30 FMD patients were compared to 21 and 30 sex- and age-matched dystonia and Parkinson patients respectively. QoL was assessed using the Parkinson's Disease Summary Index (PDSI). Psychiatric comorbidities were screened with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Composite International Diagnostic Interview questionnaire. RESULTS QoL was more altered in FMD than in dystonia on PDSI (42.1 vs 25.1; p = .003). No significant difference was observed in QoL in FMD and Parkinson's disease on PDSI (38.3 vs 32.2; p = .61). Moreover, FMD patients were more often unemployed because of their condition than dystonia (61.9% vs 14.3%; p = .01) and Parkinson patients (53.3% vs 13.3%; p = .005). The occurrence of anxiety (p = .58 and > 0.99), depression (p = .77 and 0.77), and traumatic events (p = .58 and 0.75) was not different between groups. FMD patients reported more often sexual abuse than dystonia (28,6% vs 4.8%; p = .13) and Parkinson patients (23.3% vs 0.0%; p = .02). CONCLUSION FMD patients presented a significant alteration of QoL and no increased psychiatric comorbidities compared to OMD patients. These results highlight the impact of FMD and suggest that neurologists should be as involved in the management of FMD as they are in OMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry Gendre
- Department of Neurology, Henri Mondor University Hospital, AP-HP, Créteil, France; Department of Neurology, Movement Disorders Unit, Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, France.
| | - Guilhem Carle
- Department of Neurology, Movement Disorders Unit, Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, France; Brain and Spine Institute, UPMC UMRS 1127, INSERM U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Paris, France
| | - Francine Mesrati
- Department of Neurophysiology, Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Cécile Hubsch
- Department of Neurology, Movement Disorders Unit, Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Mauras
- Department of Neurology, Movement Disorders Unit, Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuel Roze
- Department of Neurology, Movement Disorders Unit, Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, France; Brain and Spine Institute, UPMC UMRS 1127, INSERM U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Paris, France
| | - Marion Houot
- Sorbonne University, GRC n°21, Alzheimer Precision Medicine (APM), Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Bertrand Degos
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, Collège de France, INSERM U1050, CNRS UMR7241, Labex Memolife, Paris Sciences et Lettres, Paris, France; Department of Neurology, Avicenne University Hospital, Paris - Seine Saint-Denis University Hospitals, Bobigny, France
| | - Béatrice Garcin
- Brain and Spine Institute, UPMC UMRS 1127, INSERM U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Paris, France; Department of Neurology, Avicenne University Hospital, Paris - Seine Saint-Denis University Hospitals, Bobigny, France
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25
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Garcin B. Motor functional neurological disorders: An update. Rev Neurol (Paris) 2018; 174:203-211. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurol.2017.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Revised: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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26
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Reynolds EH. Hysteria in ancient civilisations: A neurological review: Possible significance for the modern disorder. J Neurol Sci 2018. [PMID: 29525297 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2018.02.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The word hysteria originated in the Corpus Hippocraticum (c420 BCE) as a natural explanation for a variety of diseases in women linked in the Greco-Roman mind to an animate or inanimate womb, but which in the last five centuries has evolved to describe an elusive disorder of brain ± mind in men and women, currently referred to by neurologists as "functional neurological disorder". The Babylonians, Assyrians and Egyptians had no knowledge of brain or psychological function. Babylonian and Assyrian descriptions of disease and behaviour include only rare examples suggestive of modern hysteria. An earlier suggestion that the Greek concept of hysteria was transmitted from Egypt is not supported by recent evidence. The Greco-Roman civilisations had some knowledge of neuroanatomy, but little of nervous system function, conceived in terms of humors. The examples cited here suggestive of modern hysteria are relatively infrequent and fragmentary. The most plausible are attempts to separate the "sacred disease" from other causes of loss of consciousness. The great achievement of Greco-Roman medicine was in introducing natural causation, including causation linked to the womb, rather than gods or evil spirits. Nevertheless medicine, magic and religion have remained intertwined to varying degrees in all cultures up to the present time, despite the growth of modern scientific medicine. The study of hysteria in ancient civilisations adds interesting insight into the evolution of thinking about brain, psyche, mind and self. Babylonian and Egyptian medical and behavioural descriptions are based on observation. Greek and Roman accounts include some subjective aspects, probably linked to early attempts to understand identity, the psyche, intellectual and emotional functions. The great philosophical debate whether the latter resided in the head/brain (Plato) or the heart (Aristotle) has only been settled in the last few centuries, during which hysteria also became linked to brain ± mind. Our more recent increasing knowledge of brain function has also been accompanied by increasing interest in subjective feelings, thoughts, the inner life and subconscious mechanisms, suggesting we may have become more self-aware than in earlier civilisations, which in turn may perhaps influence the clinical presentation of hysteria. The study of hysteria may be one of the keys to a greater understanding of the relationship between brain and mind.
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