Functional Neurological Disorder (FND)

I have treated only one patient who actually came with the official diagnosis of FND but I have treated many patients with neurological symptoms but without any positive findings of organic damage. Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is a complex condition affecting how the brain and body communicate. Key aspects include:

• The "Software" Concept: FND is a brain network disorder often described as a "software" glitch. While the brain's physical structure (the "hardware") is normal, the way it sends and receives signals is disrupted.

• Diverse Physical Symptoms: These real, involuntary symptoms range from motor issues like limb weakness, tremors, and paralysis to sensory problems such as numbness or double vision.

• Cognitive and Internal Impacts: Patients may experience "brain fog," memory loss, speech impediments, swallowing difficulties (dysphagia), and even loss of bowel function.

• Non-Epileptic Seizures: Some individuals experience episodes that look like epileptic seizures but do not involve abnormal electrical brain activity.

• Diagnosis and Recovery: Doctors diagnose FND by identifying "positive signs," such as symptoms improving with distraction. Recovery is achievable through multidisciplinary therapies designed to "retrain the brain" and restore normal signaling patterns.

I am currently treating a patient for cardiac arrhythmia. He has been monitoring his cardiac activity with a device that captures both the heart rate and waveform and which showed no abnormality. His doctor is advising cardiac ablation which the patient wants to avoid. The whole picture is confused and should be clarified but it does suggest that there may be room for alternative therapies to help retrain the brain to resolve the problem without resorting to invasive procedures.