FND LIFE HACKS BY FND AWARE NZ
Sunday, August 30, 2026
Professor Jon Stone - Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) and MS - looking for a treatable cause of disability
RECOGNISING FUNCTIONAL SEIZURES - PROF JON STONE
WORLD RESPECTED NEUROLOGIST, PROFESSOR JON STONE
ON
RECOGNISING FUNCTIONAL SEIZURES
MYTHBUSTER - FND IS FAKE
FUNCTIONAL NEUROLOGICAL DISORDER IS OFTEN DISMISSED AS FAKE OR FICTICIOUS DISORDER
WELLWORKS CATALOG
THE .PDF CATALOG OF PRODUCTS RE CANANBIS
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iWcimCMmAuVREjm_qnmw05C227Hskf1X/view?usp=sharing
No area of stroke research should be left behind
More than 12 million incident cases of stroke are thought
to have occurred in 2019, when stroke was also the
second-leading cause of death and the third-leading cause
of death and disability combined. Thanks to the efforts of
stroke researchers and study participants, many advances
that might help to reduce this burden have been made
over the past two decades. Much of this progress has
been in acute management and secondary prevention of
ischaemic stroke, and as this issue of The Lancet Neurology
was going to press, results from several trials testing
such approaches were scheduled to be presented at the
8th European Stroke Organisation Conference (ESOC),
on May 4–6, 2022, in Lyon, France. If such progress is to
continue, and similarly impressive advances are to be
made in primary prevention, haemorrhagic stroke, and
longer-term care, all areas of stroke need to be a higher
priority for research funding.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eGQds8AyZjDQXgkdnjDX8UgqCWX88ZTA/view?usp=sharing
The use of amantadine in catatonia
We read with interest the excellent
Personal View by Olivier Rascol and
colleagues on the use of amantadine
in Parkinson’s disease and other
movement disorders.1
One movement
disorder for which amantadine
has shown some benefit but the
authors did not mention is catatonia.
Catatonia is a neuropsychiatric
syndrome that occurs in association
with psychiatric disorders such as
schizophrenia and bipolar disorder,
and also various neurological diseases,
including autoimmune encephalitis.
Characteristic clinical signs include
stupor, mutism, posturing, catalepsy,
echophenomena, mannerisms,
stereotypies, and negativism.
Catatonia has been associated
with substantial morbidity and
complications, including pneumonia,
acute kidney injury, and pulmonary
embolus.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EVEua8i4HrJighmDezUBaBIs3NOnw9aq/view?usp=sharing
FND Functional Neurological Disorder in Aotearoa/NZ 3.4.24
THIS IS A POWER POINT USED IN CONFERENCE WITH NEUROLOGIST M PHILLIPS AND THE HEAD OF MEDICINE IN 2023
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZgLKSDnjE9Ss85-rT5xQWTbRr2CJEoMM/view?usp=sharing
HOW TO MANAGE CRPS FLARES
MANAGIN PAIN IS DIFFICULT, HERE IS A GUIDE TO METHODS USED BY PATIENTS
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bOVskQ_qScDKdf_dgSWqkfZSWWJ3j0rm/view?usp=drive_link
Functional neurological disorder: new subtypes and shared mechanisms
Functional neurological disorder is common in neurological practice. A new approach to the positive diagnosis of this
disorder focuses on recognisable patterns of genuinely experienced symptoms and signs that show variability within
the same task and between different tasks over time. Psychological stressors are common risk factors for functional
neurological disorder, but are often absent. Four entities—functional seizures, functional movement disorders,
persistent perceptual postural dizziness, and functional cognitive disorder—show similarities in aetiology and
pathophysiology and are variants of a disorder at the interface between neurology and psychiatry. All four entities have
distinctive features and can be diagnosed with the support of clinical neurophysiological studies and other biomarkers.
The pathophysiology of functional neurological disorder includes overactivity of the limbic system, the development of
an internal symptom model as part of a predictive coding framework, and dysfunction of brain networks that gives
movement the sense of voluntariness. Evidence supports tailored multidisciplinary treatment that can involve physical
and psychological therapy approaches.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EnFs_fM6wZ-rLjU0LrMSAsTxy5hPKC7j/view?usp=drive_link
FND AS A SECONDARY CONDITION
Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a complex condition that is caused
by various triggers and presents itself in unique ways differing from person to
person. Someone with FND might present with similar symptoms as someone
with a Stroke, Parkinson’s Disease or Epilepsy for example. However, instead
of it being structural, it is functional – a disconnect between the brain sending
signals, and the body receiving them. As well, people with FND can also have
epilepsy and other comorbidities. The mind/body connection can get “glitchy”
and has trouble processing sensory inputs and emotional overload. This
sometimes happens randomly on a neurological level, sometimes there is a
(direct correlation between the trigger and symptom - cause/effect) stress
trigger, which can be causing an overwhelming amount of any emotion, and
sometimes it’s a sensory overload in the environment which causes physical
or mental symptoms. This does not mean that symptoms are psychological
and that this is a mental disorder or “attention seeking behaviour” as that is
outdated understandings and simply inaccurate according to new research
and observation. Behaviour means having a choice to do something, these
symptoms are not chosen by the person with FND however are reactions to
stress and overwhelm. Some common symptoms may include arm and leg
weakness, seizures, fainting, ticks, tremors, intense pain, and the list may go
on and on for some people. The nervous system generally can be on high
alert and hypersensitive to triggers. That is, until the person’s stress bucket is
emptied enough and equipped with enough coping skills to manage. (Written
by Katerina Giovos, 2023).
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15t4eCe9ij7-NQnLliZ3Qq3SjyZfsihLS/view?usp=drive_link
Correction to Lancet Neurol 2022; 21: 125–39
In this Article, in the Summary, the
number of countries in which the
trials were done should be 18. In the
Outcomes section of Methods, the
prespecified efficacy endpoints “change
from baseline in subjective WASO and
latency to sleep onset (LSO) at months
1 and 3” should be deleted as they are
not reported. In the Statistical analysis
section of Methods, .....
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kXO8xIHI4aw_dOGwVKKTV57eOYLQ4UtC/view?usp=drive_link
Neuroimmunology: In-Depth Description
Neuroimmunology is the study of the complex, bidirectional interactions between the central nervous system (CNS) and the immune system. Traditionally, researchers viewed these two complex networks as entirely separate entities, operating under the assumption that the brain was strictly "immune-privileged" and isolated from systemic immune responses. Today, neuroimmunology investigates how immune cells, cytokines, and inflammatory processes influence neurological development, brain function, and disease pathogenesis, as well as how the nervous system regulates immune function throughout the body.
After Years of Being Misunderstood Jayelynn Weinel Shares Her Story to Bring Hope to Others Living with Functional Neurological Disorder
Doctors treated her symptoms, offered different diagnoses, and tried various approaches, yet nothing fully explained what she was experiencing. Living with an illness that others couldn't see was frustrating enough, but living without answers made the journey even harder.
Saturday, August 29, 2026
Neuroscience rotation gives student a chance to explore brainy interests
The Akakpo-Ulloa Family Neuroscience Scholarship is designed to foster interest in neurology and psychiatry, and provide exposure to multidisciplinary care.
He Had Up to Seventy-Eight Sneezing Attacks a Day, and the Fix Was in His Arm
They looked exactly like sneezes. Repeated contractions of the diaphragm, Forced exhalation through the nose, tic-like rhythmic vocalizations layered on top. Strong smells often set them off, though they could also arrive at random.
They were not sneezes.
A 32-year-old teacher reached a functional neurological disorder clinic having lived with them for nine years. At presentation, the attacks were lasting up to 10 minutes and coming several times a day, reaching a maximum of 78 episodes. He reported episodes that woke him at night, though without a sleep study, clinicians could not confirm whether they occurred in true sleep or early wakefulness.
https://www.medicaldaily.com/functional-sneeze-functional-movement-disorder-case-report-477880
Friday, August 28, 2026
Brain imaging research is thriving in functional neurological disorder
1. Introduction
Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a condition at the neurology-psychiatry interface that impacts individuals across the lifespan (Hallett et al., 2022). The conceptualization of FND in the 20th century was fraught with dualistic perspectives of brain versus mind – exemplified by outdated terms such as “hysteria” and “psychogenic”. Structure and function are closely coupled in the human brain, and neuroimaging research in FND provides an opportunity to bridge the science of brain and mind in this prevalent and potentially disabling condition (Finkelstein et al., 2025, O’Mahony et al., 2023). Advancing the neuroscience of FND further erodes artificial distinctions between brain health and mental health – and offers the potential to develop novel mechanistically-informed treatments.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221315822600063X
Functional Neurologic Disorder (NIH)
What is functional neurologic disorder?
Functional neurologic disorder (FND) refers to a neurological condition caused by changes in how brain networks work, rather than changes in the structure of the brain itself, as seen in many other neurological disorders. Physical symptoms of FND are genuine but cannot be explained by changes in the brain structure. The exact cause of FND is unknown.
https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/functional-neurologic-disorder
Functional neurological disorder: Practical management (SCIENCE DIRECT)
Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is a common and disabling condition seen by nearly every clinician in nearly every clinical setting. There are multiple subtypes with seizure and motor/movement being the most common. There is high health care utilization and costs, and many patients have a chronic course and remain disabled. It is clear from research over the past two decades that abnormalities in brain network activity are implicated in the pathophysiology of FND. Diagnosis requires positive criteria and knowing how to obtain a good history and avoid common pitfalls. There are evidence-based treatments and expert consensus recommendations. A multidisciplinary team knowledgeable about the disorder is important for the best outcomes but there is much more work to be done. This review will focus on the practical aspects of diagnosing and managing FND.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S187874792500090X
FND GUIDE
FND describes neurological symptoms like limb weakness, tremor, numbness or blackouts, related to the movement and sensation parts of the nervous system…..
- Caused by a PROBLEM with the FUNCTIONING of the nervous system
- A “software” issue of the brain, not the hardware (as in stroke or MS)
- With positive diagnostic features typical of FND
- Cause day to day difficulties for the person who experiences them
RESEARCH FND (FND SOCIETY)
This page highlights current research projects in the area of functional neurological disorder (FND). If you would like to learn more about any of the studies, please follow the links below. If you are a researcher and want your project added to the website, please complete the Research Project Submission Form.
Functional Neurological Disorder, Reframed (Harvard)
Science sheds new light on a disorder that medicine forgot
https://magazine.hms.harvard.edu/articles/functional-neurological-disorder-reframed
Advances in functional Neurological disorder
Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a fascinating and important area of neurological practice. It has a rich history and interfaces with philosophy, psychiatry and psychology. It is a very common condition, and one that produces very high levels of disability, impaired quality of life and health and social care costs. The disorder is still beset with myths and misunderstandings, yet the field is rapidly expanding, with real progress being made in understanding its pathophysiology, heterogeneity and effective treatment. We commissioned this topic collection ‘Advances in functional neurological disorder’ to reflect the rapid development of this important area of medicine.
Researcher shines light on neurological disorder with a dark history
16 December 2024
A potential breakthrough treatment for functional neurological disorder could offer hope for those suffering from the condition.
Functional neurological disorder: new subtypes and shared mechanisms
Functional neurological disorder is common in neurological practice. A new approach to the positive diagnosis of this disorder focuses on recognisable patterns of genuinely experienced symptoms and signs that show variability within the same task and between different tasks over time. Psychological stressors are common risk factors for functional neurological disorder, but are often absent. Four entities—functional seizures, functional movement disorders, persistent perceptual postural dizziness, and functional cognitive disorder—show similarities in aetiology and pathophysiology and are......
Youth charity forced to end 'life-changing' course
A basic skills programme described as "life-changing" for young people is to close after losing its funding.
Thursday, August 27, 2026
The Cartesian split in mental and physical health care
The separation of mental and physical health care still rests on a Cartesian inheritance, the old assumption that mind and body are fundamentally different kinds of things, one physical and mechanical, the other immaterial and spiritual. That framework may have served a purpose in an era when medicine lacked the tools to explain what it could not measure, allowing physicians to attend to the body while matters of the mind were left to religious and spiritual authorities. But the assumption has outlived the limitations that produced it, and we are still living inside its consequences.
https://kevinmd.com/2026/08/the-cartesian-split-in-mental-and-physical-health-care.html
Brain scans reveal widespread structural and functional changes in patients following COVID-19 infection
A recent review of 49 brain imaging studies reveals that COVID-19 is associated with widespread structural and functional changes in the human brain. The findings indicate that the virus affects regions responsible for memory, emotion, and executive function, which may help explain the neurological symptoms many patients experience. The research was published in the journal Cerebral Cortex.
Woman Who Became Paralyzed from the Waist Down Says She ‘Never Imagined’ How Much She’d Be ‘Loving Life’ Today (Exclusive)
- Amy Pohl became paralyzed from the waist down in 2018 and now raises awareness about disability rights and shares her journey as a full-time wheelchair user on social media
- Pohl emphasizes the importance of accessibility and finding joy in life despite her lifelong conditions
- “I never, ever imagined what I have today: living in my own home, independent again and loving life,” she tells PEOPLE
Online Backlash & Disability Representation: The Controversy Surrounding Zara Beth
In recent months, content creator Zara Beth—a prominent UK influencer and author who documents her life with Tourette’s syndrome, Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), and dysautonomia—has found herself at the centre of an intense social media firestorm. Known online for sharing her journey as a wheelchair user and chronic illness advocate across TikTok and her Official YouTube Channel, Beth has faced accusations across social platforms alleging that she is a "fake" wheelchair user.
Grieving daughter's 'constant buying' after losing dad inspires her to open County Durham clothes shop
After losing her dad two years ago Lisa Talbot said she "didn't want to be here". Buying clothes became her way of coping with grief and soon her home was "full to the brim".
Making sense of the brain’s memory banks
How our brains transfer and store long-term memories largely remains a mystery in neuroscience. With memory disorders on the rise globally, understanding these complex neurological processes is more important than ever.
https://insightplus.mja.com.au/2026/31/making-sense-of-the-brains-memory-banks
Pivoting with purpose
When chronic illness changed everything, Anita Newport refused to stand still. Instead, she kept pivoting – and in doing so, found a new way to live.
Words & Photo: Amy Russ
Muslims in England are being driven to seek healthcare abroad
Struggling to access NHS care and priced out of private treatment, some are seeking help when they visit family overseas. But not all can afford it
Genetic and Early-Life Vulnerability in Functional Neurological Disorder: A Large-Scale Retrospective Cohort Study
Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a common and disabling condition with diverse presentations, such as motor (weakness, tremor, dystonia, gait), sensory, cognitive, and seizure-like symptoms, often in combination.1 It is understood as a disorder of brain network dysfunction, in which the brain generates overly strong predictions about body states that override incoming sensory and motor signals, and symptoms arise from this mismatch.2 Historically, FND has been conceptualised in terms of psychological stress or traumatic experiences, often arising in childhood.3 However, contemporary models situate it within a broader biopsychosocial framework, in which early-life biological influences are poorly characterised compared to psychosocial factors. Previously reported inherited and......
Bioxytran Reports Encouraging Clinical Observations in First Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP) Patient Treated with PLICID, a Novel Galectin Antagonist Designed with Artificial
Once-weekly intravenous treatment was associated with reported improvements in finger function and walking ability, with no adverse events reported during treatment
When Medicine Mistakes Confidence for a Cure
The ancient philosopher Heraclitus reportedly claimed that physicians were "just as bad as the diseases they claimed to cure." Hippocrates, often regarded as the father of medicine, is frequently associated with the observation that "to do nothing is also a good remedy." Timon, in Shakespeare's Timon of Athens, warned readers to " Trust not the physician; His antidotes are poison, and he slays." Even René Descartes wrote in 1637 that "medicine as it is currently practised contains little of much use." Then who could forget the famous proclamation, generally attributed to Voltaire, that "The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient, while nature cures the disease."
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/when-medicine-mistakes-confidence-cure-2026a1000rf0?form=fpf
Why Do Doctors Sometimes Laugh When Watching Seizures? Scientists Investigated This Surprisingly Awkward Medical Reaction
Two epileptologists spent five years giving the same lecture on functional seizures on three continents. Each time, they showed the same patient videos. Each time, an unannounced observer in the room counted how many people laughed.
At grand rounds in the United States, roughly 57% of the medical audience did. At an epilepsy symposium in Marburg, Germany, about 5%. At an epilepsy course in São Paulo, about 8%. At the Turkish Epilepsy Congress in Bodrum, about 13%, and about 17% across the remaining countries.
https://www.medicaldaily.com/doctors-laughter-functional-seizures-survey-477170
Levodopa exacerbated tremor in Parkinson's disease
Background:
Levodopa is considered the most effective pharmacological therapy for Parkinson's disease (PD). However, it can cause side effects including diverse types of dyskinesia. In rare cases, tremor worsening has been reported in patients with PD taking levodopa. The frequency of this effect in clinical practice is unclear, and the phenomenology is poorly characterized.
Objectives:
We aimed to assess the frequency, clinical features, and factors associated with tremor exacerbated by levodopa in patients with PD.
Methods:
We studied a cohort of 274 consecutive patients with PD and determined the frequency of tremor exacerbated by levodopa.
Results:
Tremor exacerbation with levodopa was identified in four patients (1.46%) and 1.55% of patients taking levodopa. There were two men and two women, with ages ranging from 53 to 73 years at the time of evaluation. All patients experienced a consistent worsening of rest tremor within 20 min of taking a low dose of levodopa (62.5 mg or 125 mg). No benefit from biperiden or amantadine was observed for levodopa-exacerbated tremor in any of the cases. None of the patients showed signs of atypical parkinsonism or abnormal MRI. Patients with levodopa-exacerbated tremor were very reluctant to take more than a small dose of levodopa or any dose at all, hampering potential benefits for other parkinsonian features such as rigidity, bradykinesia, and parkinsonian gait.
Conclusion:
Tremor exacerbated by levodopa is an uncommon side effect in patients with PD that limits the benefit of this therapy.
Lisa McHugh announces difficult family update after year of ‘challenges and change’
Lisa McHugh announced on Wednesday that she and her husband Nathan Khan have separated.
The country music star revealed that she had been keeping the news private in order to protect their two children, Hallie, two, and Milo, four.
Convent Mass Hysteria Has Six Centuries of Case Records; Netflix’s The Body Dramatizes Them
When Netflix drops all eight episodes of The Body on November 11, 2026, audiences will encounter what creator Quinn Shephard is calling a "raunchy teen psychodrama with a dash of Catholic horror" — a series about Catholic schoolgirls who begin experiencing prophetic visions after a dance-team initiation goes wrong, triggering mass hysteria across their town.
'I woke up with no feeling in my legs - now I'm doing a triathlon'
Footballer Martha Sharland's life changed overnight when she woke up with no feeling below her waist.
Fundraiser launched to support Laois man following life-changing neurological disorder diagnosis
A fundraiser has been launched to support a Ballylinan man and his family after a neurological disorder left him unable to walk and requiring the use of a wheelchair.
Unresponsive in the PACU: A Case Report of Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder and Review of Recent Literature
- James P. Chung
- Arnav Sugavanam1
- Joseph G. Tharion,
Journal of Obstetric Anaesthesia and Critical Care 16(2):p 172-178, Jul-Dec 2026. | DOI: 10.4103/JOACC.JOACC_68_26
Functional neurological symptom disorder (FND), also known as conversion disorder, is a somatoform disease that can cause neurological deficits without anatomical or physiological causes. It can be caused by any physical or psychological stressor, including trauma, hospital admission, surgery, as well as having to undergo anesthesia. We report about a pediatric patient (with a history of previous FND) who became suddenly unresponsive and exhibited seizure-like activity in the postanesthesia care unit after undergoing general anesthesia for a gynecological procedure (intrauterine device placement). After undergoing largely normal testing, including electrolytes, imaging, and consultation from pediatric neurology, she spontaneously recovered and was eventually discharged to psychiatry follow-up. FND is a debilitating disease both physically and mentally for both patients and families; diagnosis and treatment both need multidisciplinary involvement. Ultimately, individually tailored perioperative care is needed for patients with a history of FND; the anesthesiologist’s role in preparing patients and their families for surgery and anesthesia, as well as appropriate follow-up care, may improve long-term patient outcomes.
One of the most common brain disorders is one of the most misunderstood – how functional neurological disorder is both ‘all in your head’ and beyond it
“It’s all in your head.”
By the time many people with functional neurological disorder arrive in our clinic, they have heard these five words more times than they can count. They are told their brain scan was normal. Their electroencephalogram, a test that measures the brain’s electrical activity, is reassuring. “The good news is you don’t have epilepsy,” they’re told.
Quitting alcohol changes the brain and can increase the risk of compulsive drinking – new research in mice
For some, abstaining from alcohol can subsequently increase compulsive drinking . Our research team found that, in abstaining mice, this urge to drink is preceded by changes in the activity of a particular brain region , pointing to potential new screening opportunities to identify and help those most vulnerable to relapse.
Traumatic brain injury in Pakistan linked to poor long-term survival
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Pakistan is associated with a high risk of death and disability long after the initial injury, even in mild to moderate cases, according to two new studies in JAMA Network Open led by Weill Cornell Medicine researchers. While most TBIs occur in low- and middle-income countries due to road traffic accidents, long-term patient outcomes remain poorly understood.
https://www.nationaltribune.com.au/traumatic-brain-injury-in-pakistan-linked-to-poor-long-term-survival/
One of the most common brain disorders is one of the most misunderstood – how functional neurological disorder is both ‘all in your head’ and beyond it
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)
https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/one-of-the-most-common-brain-disorders-is-one-of-22388237.php
Yale Health Discussion with Dr. Benjamin Tolchin
NEW HAVEN, CT, UNITED STATES – As I return to Yale University for another year of summer teaching, I have continued to explore the intersection of medicine, ethics, and the human consequences of conflict. Having written about communities affected by displacement, historical trauma, and war I was particularly interested in speaking with Dr. Benjamin Tolchin of Yale School of Medicine.
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/yale-health-discussion-with-dr-benjamin-tolchin/
Development and Complying Development Certificate Applications Received – Monday, 10 August to Friday, 14 August 2026
The following development and complying development certificate applications (not being designated or advertised development) were received by Council during the period Monday, 10 August to Friday, 14 August 2026
https://www.nationaltribune.com.au/development-and-complying-development-certificate-applications-received-monday-10-august-to-friday-14-august-2026/
Neuroscience Redefines Functional Neurological Disorder Beyond Stigma
Functional neurological disorder affects millions globally, but new predictive processing models are replacing decades of medical dismissal with targeted therapies.
https://streamlinefeed.co.ke/news/neuroscience-redefines-functional-neurological-disorder-beyond-stigma
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