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

Dr. David Perez, is a dual trained Neurologist-Psychiatrist and Cognitive-Affective Neuroscientist. He is an Associate Professor of Neurology & Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Clinically, Dr. Perez is the founding director of the Functional Neurological Disorder Unit at the Massachusetts General Hospital and the director of the MGH FND Research Group.

Dr Perez talks about his early fascination with bringing brain and mind together in research and how this has energized him to create 'brain teams'. He advocates working across disciplines and across specialities to learn from and educate each other with the aim of creating precise and effective treatments for FND. Dr Perez gives advice on how to create a dream team for treating and researching FND and muses on the pscyhopathophysical signatures of FND.

It's an energized and energetic podcast and one sure to bring hope to patients and clinicians of all kinds interested in FND.

https://www.massgeneral.org/neurology/research/functional-neurology-research-group

https://connects.catalyst.harvard.edu/Profiles/display/Person/86553