Multi-Cultural Podcast Series: Part 1 FND Diagnosis, Access, & Treatment Landscapes

This is a 3 part panel series, exploring FND across the international arena. Part 1 includes FND diagnosis, access, and discussion of treatment landscapes, Part 2 including FND culturally relevant factors within the biopsychosocialspiritual model, and Part 3 covers FND research, funding, and international collaborations.

My gracious guests include: Lucia Tesolin a neurologist in charge of the Functional Neurological Disorders Clinic at the Civil Hospital of Bolzano, Italy, and researcher at the Center for Research in Complementary Medicine, EsSalud Social Health Insurance, Peru; Sonja Rutten from Amsterdam University Medical Center, the Netherlands (providing input on the Dutch and FND); Takamichi Kanbayashi, from Tokyo and Teikyo University School of Medicine (presently learning FND in Edinburg, UK); Lucas D’Andrea – at University of São Paulo Brazil; Chrisma Pretorius at Stellenbosch University in South Africa; and Sanjay Pandey, presently in Delhi, India at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences.

In this episode we have two guests, both esteemed board-certified neuropsychologists. Dr. Noah Silverberg is an associate professor at the University of British Columbia, and Dr. Ryan Van Patten is an assistant professor at Brown University.

In this conversation, we discuss neuropsychological educational pathways, and current training needs as it relates to FND, neuropsychologist’s role across FND in both clinical and research contexts, and a topic near and dear to my heart, functional cognitive disorders and the role neuropsychologists can play in advancing the diagnostic understanding and treatment of FCD and FND more broadly.

Links for the discussed articles – Cognitive performance in functional seizures compared with epilepsy and healthy controls: a systematic review and meta analysis: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38879275/ and Neuropsychological evaluation of functional cognitive disorder: a narrative review: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37369579/

We invite providers to participate in a brief survey examining driving recommendations for patients with functional seizures. Developed by a dedicated study group, this survey seeks to capture the current opinions of physicians worldwide on this topic. Please take a moment to share your expertise: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8065625/functional-dissociative-seizures-and-driving

This episode’s guest is Dr. Beatrice Garcin who is a neurologist at Avicenne Hospital and Sorbonne Paris Nord University. We cover a range of topics including TMS in FND, neurologic comorbidities in FND, positive signs / rule in signs in FND, and FND practice specific to France / French culture.

Link for the discussed article- Motor functional neurologic disorders: An update: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29609961/

We invite providers to participate in a brief survey examining driving recommendations for patients with functional seizures. Developed by a dedicated study group, this survey seeks to capture the current opinions of physicians worldwide on this topic. Please take a moment to share your expertise: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8065625/functional-dissociative-seizures-and-driving

Professor Jeffrey Staab from the Mayo clinic brings together balance and psychiatry in his academic and clinical practice. He joins Dr Cotton in this podcast to speak about PPPD, vestibular migraine and the impact of dizziness on quality of life. Listen in to find the most up to date understanding of the neuroscience of balance and stay to enjoy the useful information provided to take back to the clinic.

This episode’s guest is Dr. Biba Stanton, the clinical lead for Neurology at Kings College Hospital in London. One of Dr. Stanton specialties is the complimentary elements of Neurology & Psychiatry for FND, and we discuss the biopsychosocial model, the role of FND educational groups, best practices for prevention of iatrogenic harm in FND, and FND & special population considerations (such as women, and those with autism spectrum disorders).

We invite providers to participate in a brief survey examining driving recommendations for patients with functional seizures. Developed by a dedicated study group, this survey seeks to capture the current opinions of physicians worldwide on this topic. Please take a moment to share your expertise: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8065625/functional-dissociative-seizures-and-driving

This brief conversation introduces some of the educational opportunities within FNDS, namely highlighting the virtual educational course – FND: Rehabilitation 101 put together by Glenn Nielsen and Sarah Lidstone – which is coming out by the end of March, and the Hybrid Functional Seizures and Epilepsy Course which is occurring June 13th – 14th in Boston, co-chaired by Mahinda Yogarajah, and Barbara Dworetzky.

We invite providers to participate in a brief survey examining driving recommendations for patients with functional seizures. Developed by a dedicated study group, this survey seeks to capture the current opinions of physicians worldwide on this topic. Please take a moment to share your expertise: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8065625/functional-dissociative-seizures-and-driving

In this episode Prof Clauw explores collaborative conversations about terminology with patients and across specialities. He talks about nocioplastic pain and teases out his thoughts about long covid. There is an excellent discussion about modifiable factors in ill health and the place of integrative therapies in helping patients with FND and other disorders. It's a thoughtful, hopeful podcast from a word expert in pain

Links:

• https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/cpfrc/daniel-j-clauw-md
• https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/cpfrc/about-us