The exact cause of FND is unknown, although ongoing research is starting to provide suggestions as to how and why it develops. These include: chronic pains, fatigue, sleep problems, memory symptoms, bowel and bladder symptoms, anxiety and depression. Other physical and psychological symptoms are commonly experienced by patients with FND but may not be present. Some patients with FND may experience substantial or even complete remission followed by sudden relapses of symptoms. Symptoms often fluctuate and may vary from day to day or be present all the time.

ĝissociative (non-epileptic) seizures, blackouts and faints: these symptoms can overlap and can look like epileptic seizures or faints (syncope).

ğunctional visual symptoms including loss of vision or double vision.

This often occurs on one side of the body numbness, tingling or pain in the face, torso or limbs.

ğunctional sensory disturbance includes altered sensation e.g.

ğunctional speech symptoms including whispering speech (dysphonia), slurred or stuttering speech.

ğunctional movement disorders including tremor, spasms (dystonia), jerky movements (myoclonus) and problems walking (gait disorder).

In some people, psychological factors are important, in others they are not.įND patients can experience a wide range and combination of symptoms that are physical, sensory and/or cognitive. It has specific clinical features of its own and is a disorder of the nervous system functioning in which many perspectives are necessary. The new understanding, including modern neuroscientific studies, has shown that FND is not a diagnosis of exclusion. Older ideas that FND is “all psychological” and that the diagnosis is made only when someone has normal tests have changed since the mid-2000s. New scientific findings are influencing how patients are diagnosed and treated which is creating an overall change in attitude towards people with FND. Encouraging studies support the potential reversibility of FND with specifically tailored treatments.

However, it is now established that FND is a common cause of disability and distress, which may overlap with other problems such as chronic pain and fatigue.

This had led, historically, to the condition being relatively neglected by both clinicians and researchers. Conventional tests such as MRI brain scans and EEGs are usually normal in patients with FND. FND can encompass a wide variety of neurological symptoms, such as limb weakness or seizures.įND is a condition at the interface between the specialties of neurology and psychiatry. 5 Myths About Orphan Drugs and the Orphan Drug Actįunctional neurological disorder (FND) is a medical condition in which there is a problem with the functioning of the nervous system and how the brain and body sends and/or receives signals, rather than a structural disease process such as multiple sclerosis or stroke.Information on Clinical Trials and Research Studies.

Functional disorder