Functional Neurological Disorder
Functional Neurological Disorder is one of the most common neurological disorders, reported to be the second most frequent condition a neurologist sees (headache is #1). Nevertheless, most people have never heard of it; most doctors are unfamiliar with it and don’t know how to treat it. In the past it was considered to be solely a psychiatric disorder and referring a patient to a psychiatrist left neurologists feeling like they had done their job. Most psychiatrists have also been unsure how to provide treatment, leaving patients without much help. Current thinking puts the disorder at the intersection of both neurology and psychiatry, and treatment is best accomplished through a multidisciplinary approach.
Symptoms vary and mimic those of other neurological disorders. Seizures, tremors, tics, gait instability, speech difficulties, balance issues, and a host of other nervous system problems can all be caused by FND. Although the symptoms can be disabling, test results are normal. The disorder is not well understood at this point, but it is believed that the brain is structurally normal and the problem lies in how messages are sent and received. “It’s like having a software problem rather than a hardware problem”, is an analogy by Professor Jon Stone (neurosymptoms.org) that has helped many people have a better grasp of what is happening in this disorder. Since there is no structural damage to the brain, it is possible for symptoms to improve.
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