Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) : a patient's guide
including Functional/Dissociative (non-epileptic) Seizures, Functional Movement Disorder and other functional symptoms
neurosymptoms.org
Sites run by Health Professionals
All the links in the website and all the downloadable information in one place
FND Fact Sheets
Psychological Symptom Booklets
With grateful thanks to Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust for permission
Poster
If you would like to print a poster advertising the website for your clinic room, waiting room or ward area then you can download an A4 poster here
Forums and Blogs
As a doctor I cannot unfortunately be responsible for a chat room on this website.
There are however separate facebook pages about functional and dissociative neurological symptoms which have been started by patients with these symptoms. You can find them at the websites above
I am not part of these groups and am therefore not responsible for their content. Indeed it is is possible that some of the information may be contradictory to the advice on this site, misleading or even harmful to you.
Health Improvement Scotland (part of NHS Scotland) published an important document on functional neurological symptoms in 2012.
THis is one of the first (possibly the first) document from a governmental agency which recognises the nature and extent of functional neurological symptoms and their associated disability and distress
Click on the document picture to access the page on the Health Improvement Scotland Website and download the document.
This document builds on NHS Scotland Neurology Standards which also specificed the importance of patients having access to correct diagnosis and multidisciplinary treatment
www.nonepilepticattacks.info is a website launched in February 2011 all about non-epileptic attacks. Its written by a clinical team in Sheffield UK and has lots of useful information
Non-Epileptic Attacks
Information about non-epileptic attacks
Podcasts and Radio Shows
Readers of neurosymptoms.org might be interested in the following podcasts and radio shows that I took part in. Thats not me in the picture!
BBC Radio 4
Inside Health
Item on Functional
Disorders
October 2012
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01n65zl
'Neurology' podcasts for the American Academy of Neurology
that I recorded in October 2013
Episode 1: Aetiology and Definitions
Episode 3: Explaining the Diagnosis
The American Academy asked me to repeat the series in 2018
You can hear all the episodes in this combined podcast
Episodes 1-4. FND Diagnosis and Treatment
Neurology Minute Podcasts
I recorded these as part of the American Academy of Neurology,
"Neurology Minute" series in 2019. They are targeted at Neurologists
to try to improve clinical practice but patients have told me they find them useful.
Part 1 - Predisposing factors for FND
Part 2 - FND is not a diagnosis of exclusion
Part 3 - Diagnosing Functional Tremor
Part 4 - Diagnosing Dissociative (non-epileptic) Seizures/Attacks
Part 5 - Differentianting FND from Exaggeration/Malingering
Part 6 - Demonstrating positive signs of FND to patients
Part 7 - Is FND a psychological problem?
Part 8 - Pitfalls in discussing the diagnosis of FND
The charities for FND provide a vital and unique voice for patients, run by patients and volunteers. Health professionals and FND groups are working together to advocate for the condition
FND Hope (www.fndhope.org) was the first patient support organisation for patients with functional neurological disorders. It has a large and growing amount of material for patients with functional neurological disorders, espeically symptoms like movement disorder and weakness. There are separate FND Hope organisations in UK, Netherlands, and Canada
Sites run by Patient Organisations
Launched in 2016. FND Action is a charity linked to the NEAD site above. The organisation provides information about FND with a particular focus on the UK. It is linked to
Documents
UK charity for FND focused on setting up patient-led support groups run by Steve Webster
Chronic Urinary Retention
This US site, is run by health professionals for patients with dissociative (non-epileptic) seizures and was started by Lorna Myers, an experienced clinical psychologist in New York
