Psychogenic movement disorders

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Alien hand syndrome (AHS) is an uncommon neurological condition characterized by involuntary, yet seemingly purposeful, movements of a limb, typically an upper extremity, with variable awareness and control by the affected individual. It is associated with a range of peculiar sensations, such as the feeling of limb estrangement, alien control and involuntary mirroring or restraining of movements. AHS indicates a profound disruption in volitional motor control and personal agency. The aetiology of AHS is the dysfunction of critical brain regions secondary to diverse neurological insults, such as tumours, vascular disorders, infarction or neurodegenerative diseases...

Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a heterogeneous condition of neurological symptoms that cannot be linked to a specific neurological cause. Yoga combines movement, breathing, and meditation and has established mind-body effects for people who are managing both psychological and neurological conditions. This case series describes key components of a yoga program for people with FND, evaluating feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy via self-report surveys, clinical assessments, and postintervention interview...

Stiff-person syndrome (SPS) is an uncommon autoimmune neurological disorder marked by painful muscle stiffness, muscle spasms, and limb weakness. Neurological symptoms in SPS can mimic a psychogenic movement disorder in which symptoms are triggered by sudden movement and emotional distress, which might delay proper treatment. However, psychiatric symptoms are far less common, and there is limited understanding regarding the co-occurrence of psychiatric conditions. Psychiatric symptoms include nonspecific anxiety, agoraphobia, and depression, which can be triggered by sudden movement, noise, or emotional stress...

BACKGROUND: Patients with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) experience complex patterns of motor and/or sensory symptoms. Treatment studies of psychological interventions are promising but limited. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the current pilot study is to investigate the effect of treatment consisting of a combination of hypnosis and catalepsy induction on FND symptom severity. METHODS: A within-subject waiting list-control design was used with 46 patients diagnosed with FND...

PURPOSE: Although functional seizures can start at any age, little is known about the individuals for whom onset occurs after the age of 40. It has been proposed that health-related traumatic events are more relevant causal factors for people with 'later-onset functional seizures' than for those whose functional seizures begin earlier in life, however, the illness representations of people with later-onset functional seizures have not yet been investigated. This study aimed to understand the experiences and illness representations of people with later-onset functional seizures...

PURPOSE: People with functional movement disorders (FMD) are commonly seen in neurology clinics. Despite a recent increase in research, no standardised treatment pathway across the UK exists. Currently only a few qualitative studies in FMD with a focus on psychological aspects and diagnosis have been published. This study aimed to understand people with FMD perceptions of their physiotherapy treatment. METHOD: Qualitative web-based interviews were conducted with seven participants and an interpretive phenomenological approach was used to identify themes from the data...

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) people can face unique stressors and structural discrimination that result in higher rates of neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, and suicidality. Although more rigorous studies are needed, emerging data suggest a possible higher prevalence of functional neurological disorder and other brain-mind-body conditions in SGM people. Representation and iterative feedback from affected community members is critical to the process of developing affirming environments...

Functional neurologic disorder (FND) is a common condition for which neurology residents often receive little to no formal teaching. Using a question-and-answer format, this article puts forward a case for why an FND curriculum is needed and aims to provide guidance on possible curricular content including medical knowledge, clinical skills, communication, and team-based collaboration. The authors also discuss methods for teaching and evaluating this knowledge and associated clinical skills, linking this to current Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education neurology milestones...

Historically, formal training for speech-language therapists (SLTs) in the area of functional speech and voice disorders (FSVD) has been limited, as has the body of empirical research in this content area. Recent efforts in the field have codified expert opinions on best practices for diagnosing and treating FSVD and have begun to demonstrate positive treatment outcomes. To provide comprehensive interventions for these complex conditions at the intersection of neurology, psychiatry, and other medical specialties, the SLT must not only build knowledge of diagnostic strategies and components of symptomatic treatment in FSVD but also embrace behavior change techniques and counseling strategies...

BACKGROUND: Dissociative seizures, also known as functional or psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, account for 11%-27% of all emergency seizure presentations. Misdiagnosis as epileptic seizures is common and leads to ineffective and potentially harmful treatment escalations. We assess the potential for diagnostic improvement at different stages of emergency workup and estimate the utility of benzodiazepines. METHODS: A retrospective study of all emergency presentations with a discharge diagnosis of acute dissociative seizures seen at a university hospital 2010-2022 was performed to assess clinical characteristics and emergency decision-making...

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to provide a preliminary assessment of objective and subjective neurocognitive functioning in individuals with functional motor symptoms (FMS) and/or functional seizures (FS). We tested the hypotheses that the FMS/FS group would display poorer objective attentional and executive functioning, altered social cognition, and reduced metacognitive accuracy. METHOD: Individuals with FMS/FS (n = 16) and healthy controls (HCs, n = 17) completed an abbreviated CANTAB battery, and measures of intellectual functioning, subjective cognitive complaints, performance validity, and comorbid symptoms...

BACKGROUND: The tongue is an essential organ for the development of certain crucial functions such as swallowing and speech. The examination of the tongue can be very useful in neurology, as the various types of lingual alterations can lead to certain specific diagnoses, the tongue being a kind of 'mirror' of some neurological function. REVIEW SUMMARY: To discuss the elements of clinical examination of the tongue in relation to neurological disorders. After reviewing the different superficial lesions of the tongue, we deal with various movement disorders of the tongue (fasciculations/myokimia, orolingual tremor, choreic movements of the tongue, dystonia of the tongue, lingual myoclonus, and psychogenic movements), disorders of taste and lingual sensitivity and lingual pain...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: Evidence on the genetics of functional seizures is scarce, and the purpose of the current scoping systematic review is to examine the existing evidence and propose how to advance the field. METHODS: Web of science and MEDLINE were searched, from their initiation until May 2023. The following key words were used: functional neurological disorder(s), psychogenic neurological disorder(s), functional movement disorder(s), psychogenic movement disorder(s), functional seizures(s), psychogenic seizure(s), nonepileptic seizure(s), dissociative seizure(s), or psychogenic nonepileptic seizure(s), AND, gene, genetic(s), polymorphism, genome, epigenetics, copy number variant, copy number variation(s), whole exome sequencing, or next-generation sequencing...

Nocturnal agitation refers to a broad spectrum of symptoms from simple movements to aggressive behaviors with partial or complete loss of awareness. An accurate identification of its etiology is critical for appropriate therapeutic intervention. In children and young adults, distinguishing between non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep parasomnias and psychogenic non-parasomniac manifestations, a condition known as sleep-related dissociative disorder (SRDD), can be challenging. This review aims to summarize current clinical, neurophysiological, and epidemiological knowledge on NREM parasomnia and SRDD, and to present the pathophysiological hypotheses underlying these nocturnal manifestations...

Paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD) is characterized by recurrent attacks of abnormal involuntary movements that are triggered by sudden movement, intention to move, or acceleration. A 10-year-old boy presented with paroxysmal, involuntary twisting movements of the left upper and lower limbs, precipitated by sudden body movements, lasting for 10-15 seconds and subsiding spontaneously. On examination, choreiform movements were observed, which were precipitated by sudden movements during some activities...

Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) involve episodes of movement, sensation, or behaviors that may appear clinically similar to epileptic seizures but without cortical electroencephalographic activity that defines epileptic seizures. This case report involves a 29-year-old male with a history of type I diabetes mellitus, schizophrenia, and a prior suicide attempt via insulin overdose. He was admitted to the emergency department after being found unresponsive on the floor in his bedroom. Given the nature of his prior suicide attempt, he was initially treated for hypoglycemic coma...

OBJECTIVE: Non-epileptic paroxysmal events (NEPEs) are common in pediatric patients and may be misdiagnosed as epileptic seizures. We aimed to study the distribution of NEPEs across age groups and with different comorbidities, and to correlate the patients' presenting symptoms with their final diagnosis after video-EEG. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed video-EEG recordings of children aged one month to 18 years who were admitted between March 2005 and March 2020...