Decoding a Disorder at the Interface of Mind and Brain
21 hours ago
- #medical-research
- #neurology
- #mental-health
- Tracey McNiven developed a persistent cough followed by numbness and loss of control in her legs, leading to hospitalization.
- Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) affects a third of neurology clinic patients with unexplained symptoms like paralysis, seizures, or blindness.
- Historically, FND was called hysteria or conversion disorder, reflecting outdated beliefs about psychological causes.
- Modern research uses fMRI to study brain changes in FND, revealing altered connectivity in motor and emotional processing regions.
- Predictive processing theory suggests FND arises from abnormal brain predictions about body function, influenced by stress or trauma.
- Treatments include specialized physiotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), but recovery remains challenging.
- FND clinics and advocacy groups like FND Hope are raising awareness, though stigma and diagnostic debates persist.