Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder in Children and Adolescents within Medical Settings

Weiss, Karen E.; Steinman, Kyle J.; Kodish, Ian; Sim, Leslie; Yurs, Sharon; Steggall, Celeste; Fobian, Aaron D.

doi:10.1007/s10880-020-09736-2

Cited by 24 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…The multidisciplinary approach involves intervening in patients’ illness beliefs, reducing maladaptive behaviors, 78 minimizing and normalizing functional symptoms, addressing problematic family dynamics, and emphasizing the importance of restoring functioning, along with psychoeducation 79 . This approach was paramount in achieving a positive outcome in MT’s case.…”

Section: Questions To the Consultantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neuromodulation Using Computer-Altered Music to Treat a Ten-Year-Old Child Unresponsive to Standard Interventions for Functional Neurological Disorder

Rajabalee

Kozlowska

Lee

et al. 2022

Harv Rev Psychiatry

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Section: Questions To the Consultantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neuromodulation Using Computer-Altered Music to Treat a Ten-Year-Old Child Unresponsive to Standard Interventions for Functional Neurological Disorder

Rajabalee

Kozlowska

Lee

et al. 2022

Harv Rev Psychiatry

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“…Second, as already underlined by several authors studying paediatric FND (Benbadis and Allen, 2000;Ramesh, 2013;Grattan-Smith and Dale, 2016;Weiss et al, 2021), an accurate communication of the diagnosis to the patient and its family and an active involvement of the parents represent the central and potentially most effective node of the treatment of paediatric FND. As a matter of fact, children with functional symptoms and their families usually undergo numerous investigations and specialist visits, often resulting in a misdiagnosis of organic pathology (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…In the last few years, there has been a growing interest in FND also in the paediatric age (for a review see Weiss et al, 2021). Recent studies estimated a prevalence of 0.26/100000 in children aged less than 10 years and 3.04/100000 in children from 10 to 15 years in the UK and Ireland (Ani et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Socio-demographic characteristics and psychopathological assessment in a sample of 13 paediatric patients with functional neurological disorders: A preliminary report

Paleari

Nisticò

Nardocci

et al. 2021

Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry

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This observational study aims to characterize, from a socio-demographic and psychopathological perspective, a sample of children with Functional Neurological Disorders (FND). Thirteen paediatric patients (below 18 years old) with FND and their parents completed a battery of anamnestic and neuropsychological tests, assessing socio-demographic status, cognitive level, behavioural and emotional issues, depression, anxiety, alexithymic traits and dissociative symptoms. Five patients presented movement disorders (tremor, myoclonus and gait disorder), three patients psychogenic non-epileptic seizures and five patients sensitivity disturbances (pain, anaesthesia and paraesthesia). Cognitive profile was normal in 11 patients; academic performance was good in nine patients, but three had a diagnosis of Specific Learning Difficulty or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Precipitating events occurred in 11 patients. At the self-report questionnaires, mean scores close to the clinical cut off were documented with respect to affective and somatic problems. At the parent-report questionnaires, clinically significant mean scores were observed in the subscales assessing anxious–depressive symptoms and somatic complaints. We speculate that paediatric FND patients, although acknowledging the relevance of somatic symptoms, have difficulties in recognizing internal emotional states (that, instead, are easily recognized by their parents). The case of one FND patient was described. These preliminary data might help identifying different clinical phenotypes of paediatric FND.

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“…Although research on the treatment of pediatric FND is increasing, there is still very little data available and clear guidelines on its treatment have therefore not been provided. However, the importance of psychological support is emphasized with such an interdisciplinary approach (Weiss et al, 2021). According to the psychoanalytic theory, physical symptoms seen in FND are caused by internal mental conflicts and unconscious impulses.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing treatment in functional neurological symptom disorder with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: A study of two cases

Demirci

Sağaltıcı

2021

Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry

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Patients with functional neurological symptom disorder (FND) have many diverse symptoms including psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES), positive movements such as tremor, dystonia, or gait abnormalities, loss of motor function such as leg or arm paresis, and loss of sensory functions, such as blindness, deafness, or loss of feeling in the limbs. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapy method that includes some techniques arising from psychodynamic, cognitive, and behavioral approaches. EMDR is known as a proven psychotherapeutic approach in post-traumatic stress disorder, but there are also numerous studies reporting its efficacy in other psychiatric disorders and trauma-associated symptoms, in patients with comorbid psychiatric disorders. This article presents the outcome of EMDR treatment of two patients’ cases, a 13-year-old female and a 16-year-old male, who were diagnosed as FND with PNES, according to the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. In both cases, there was a significant decrease in Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale scores and no pseudo seizures were found, even at the sixth-month follow-up visits. These case studies suggest that EMDR can be an effective method in the long-term treatment of FND with PNES and a useful alternative to other treatment methods.

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Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder in Children and Adolescents within Medical Settings

Cited by 24 publications

References 62 publications

Neuromodulation Using Computer-Altered Music to Treat a Ten-Year-Old Child Unresponsive to Standard Interventions for Functional Neurological Disorder

Neuromodulation Using Computer-Altered Music to Treat a Ten-Year-Old Child Unresponsive to Standard Interventions for Functional Neurological Disorder

Socio-demographic characteristics and psychopathological assessment in a sample of 13 paediatric patients with functional neurological disorders: A preliminary report

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing treatment in functional neurological symptom disorder with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: A study of two cases

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