Topic Collection

Submission Deadline: 8th February 2024 We are pleased to offer a 25% discount on the Article Processing Charge (APC) for articles submitted to this Topic Collection. Please visit our author hub for more information about the benefits of submitting to a Topic Collection.  Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is a common disorder, produced by functional disturbance in the brain, as opposed to a structural abnormality; patients can present with almost any neurological symptom. It is thought to be caused by disrupted attentional processes; abnormal predictive coding; abnormal agency/ awareness of the self; inaccurate interoception and abnormal sensory processing. Prior traumas can predispose a proportion of patients to developing FND, and they are often triggered by physical events (such as injuries or illnesses). FND can be diagnosed using positive clinical signs and is therefore not a diagnosis of exclusion. It is involuntary and the prognosis is poor without treatment. These patients are often misunderstood, and their care is very expensive, in large part because the expense is directed towards repeated investigation, as opposed to rehabilitation. There has been a renaissance of interest in FND in the past two decades. This interest in FND has accelerated, and many topics in FND have been recently reviewed. The importance of the disorder is being increasingly recognised, and it may be even more common than previously recognised. The aim of this topic collection is to synthesise current theories and models of FND, explore emerging trends, and highlight the cutting edge of FND research, with a focus on future directions.

• To set the scene: A review of the history of FND, from ancient times to modern day, with comment on the political and social landscape, and how this shapes the diagnosis we have today.
• A review of landmark papers, and how this has shaped the field and moved it forward
• A synthesis of models of FND
• Expanding the diagnostic criteria for FND: can nociplastic pain, irritable bowel, ‘post-concussion syndrome’, persistent fatigue all have the same pathophysiological basis? Should the DSM/ICD criteria be updated?
• Emerging data on genetics, immunology, autonomic dysfunction, structural changes in chronic FND, biomarkers
• A comprehensive review and update of positive clinical signs
• Autonomic dysfunction and interoception
• Neurodiversity and FND
• Neurodegenerative disorders and FND
• New and emerging treatments
• Service development, costs, outcomes of FND clinics
• Future directions

 

Please see the instructions for authors for submission requirements for each article type. To submit your article, please follow these instructions and select ‘Advances in Functional Neurological Disorder’ as the Topic Collection.   All submitted articles will be subject to the journal's normal peer review process. Articles accepted for publication will be published upon acceptance. Visit our author hub for more information regarding the publication process for topic collections.  Key words: Functional neurological disorder, advances, autonomic, interoception, DSM, neurodiversity, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome