Clinical Profile of Functional Neurological Disorder

Functional Neurological Disorders (FNDs) are involuntary, disabling conditions often linked to biopsychosocial factors. There is a gap in the literature regarding the clinical characteristics of patients suffering from FNDs. This study aimed to describe and compare the clinical profiles of the most common FND subtypes (seizures and motor).

This cross-sectional study included data collection from semi-structured interviews, medical records, and the Hamilton scales.

Among 105 patients, 60 participants were found to be eligible. Statistically differences were found in mean age of symptom onset (seizures: 25 years vs. motor: 36 years, p<0.001), mean time to diagnosis (seizures: 14 years vs. motor: 3 years, p<0.001), symptom frequency (p=0.003), psychological violence (32% in seizures vs. 10% in motor, p=0.039), sexual trauma (76% in motor vs. 26% in seizures, p<0.001), sexual complications (41% in motor vs. 13% in seizures, p=0.013), loss of close relatives (48% in seizures vs. 10% in motor, p<0.001), and number of hours of sleep per night (p=0.009). Differences were also found in family history of epilepsy (48% in seizures vs. 21% in motor, p=0.023), movement disorders (31% in motor vs. 10% in seizures, p=0.040), and schizophrenia (31% in motor vs. 7% in seizures, p=0.016). The seizure subtype had slightly higher HAM-A (38.6) and lower HAM-D (29.5) scores compared to the motor subtype (37.3 and 30.3, respectively), with statistically significant differences in agitation, weight loss, and genitourinary and somatic symptoms (p<0.05).

The affinities and variations between the two subgroups were correlated with the state-of-the-art literature, providing valuable insights into the theoretical and clinical understanding of FNDs.

Patients with FNDs exhibit a consistent clinical profile with variations according to their subtypes, allowing for the refinement of knowledge about subtype-specific characteristics.