Clearing Misconceptions about Functional Neurological Disorders

Functional Neurological Disorders (FND) make up a significant portion of referrals to neurology, maybe as high as 30%. However, misconceptions regarding these disorders remain across medicine, and patients are frequently dismissed as “faking it.”FND are neuropsychiatric conditions in which patients experience neurologic symptoms due to a “functional” disruption of brain networks rather than a “structural” disorder of the nervous system. On this episode, Drs Bigham and Omole speak with Peter Gill, a patient with FND. Mr. Gill describes his seven-year journey to diagnosis and his recent success with various approaches to therapy.Next, Drs Bigham and Omole speak with Dr. Matthew Burke, a cognitive neurologist at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto and an expert in FND. They discuss the current understanding of the disorder, diagnostic criteria and therapeutic options.Links:Neurosymptoms.orgFunctional neurologic disorder associated with SARS-CoV-2 vaccinationCMAJComments or questions? Text us.Join us as we explore medical solutions that address the urgent need to change healthcare. Reach out to us about this or any episode you hear. Or tell us about something you'd like to hear on the leading Canadian medical podcast.You can find Blair and Mojola on X @BlairBigham and @DrmojolaomoleX (in English): @CMAJ X (en français): @JAMC FacebookInstagram: @CMAJ.ca The CMAJ Podcast is produced by PodCraft Productions

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