UK members: Royal Society of Medicine event about FND on Mon 13th Sept.

[210272]

As far as I can tell this event isn't a #patientsincluded event although I may be wrong. I'm not on twitter but if you are you could ask about this as I think the 'nothing about us without us' meme could be very useful as we move forwards with the understanding of so-called 'functional' conditions. I don't know about you but I find that using a term (IE 'functional') that has remained 'vibrant' because of its ambiguity is not congruent with the Patients as Partners era of medicine. Anyhoo, here's the blurb about the meeting:

'This event will explore and discuss the theory that all functional disorders ultimately derive from the brain and nervous system. Functional symptoms affect every aspect of medicine and yet each speciality attempts to deal with their particular manifestation of the problem separately. This event will bring together professionals from medical, psychological, and academic research fields in the hope that a greater understanding of this subject from different perspectives, will lead to more effective interventions.

It is estimated that as many as 50% of new referrals to hospital outpatient clinics suffer from symptoms for which no specific underlying cause can be identified. Every speciality uses different terminology to describe these conditions but overall, there are insufficient effective therapeutic interventions currently available, leaving many patients suffering and significantly disabled.

This event will uncover the latest neuroscience research that is starting to shed some light on the underlying mechanisms. Functional symptoms form a huge part of every doctor’s workload and yet minimal teaching of this subject is provided at either undergraduate or postgraduate levels. An early positive diagnosis is vital to improve prognosis but currently, it can take years.

Can we develop different ways of researching this topic? Are RCT’s the best way forward? Should personalised care be considered? One therapy does not necessarily suit all and will be discussed.

It is likely neuroscience research will make a huge difference to our understanding of these extremely common debilitating conditions. Homeostasis, phenomenological control, perception, suggestibility, beliefs, predictive coding are no doubt playing a part in the development of functional symptoms.

This event will facilitate clinicians from varied specialities and researchers from different backgrounds to meet, exchange ideas and collaborate. You will get the opportunity to meet some of the doctors, psychologists and neuroscientists who are currently looking for answers and solutions in this field and join the thought-provoking panel discussions.

This event will cover:

The differences and similarities of functional disorders and how symptoms can overlap - what do they have in common and how do they differ?

The therapeutic approaches and treatment programmes being developed and provided by different specialities.

What works best for which symptoms and which patients.

The latest neuroscience research that is starting to shed light on the underlying mechanisms.

If you are an academic psychologist or neuroscientist, no prior knowledge of functional disorders is required.

CPD learning applied.

Due to current government restrictions, the booking capacity of this in-person event is limited. However, we are reviewing this every week.

Join in the conversation online using #RSMHypno

Follow us on Twitter: @RoySocMed

[Brokendeer]

Hi thanks again for finding yet another fascinating nugget of medical information out in the electronic ether concerning FND.

There was a more generalised article in `Psychology Today' which I had pop up on my Trending feed that you might like?

The article is called `Making Sense of Functional Neurological Disorders' and was written by Evan Parks Psy.D (posted July 20, 2021).

Evan Parks is kinda in our corner a little when it comes to saying FND is not well understood- quite refreshing!

Look for the calm in the Storm!

[210272 in reply to Brokendeer]

Hi Brokendeer,

I read Evan's stuff - thanks for alerting me to it - and yes, in some ways their approach is refreshing but some of the concepts are odd. There seems to be an inference that pain when passing kidney stones is, somehow, optional (because it doesn't have to happen). Um, really?? I broke my collar bone ages ago and didn't realise it was broken for a while because there wasn't much pain but I'd never suggest that other people with similar injuries had the option of whether or not they experienced pain, just because I didn't.

I wonder what Evan's take is on the fairly recent Perez paper - the one that puts 'conversion disorder' back on the table and seems to infer partial patient agency at onset and into the perpetuity of symptoms. I'd like to see a robust rebuttal to that notion and to have Perez et al recognise that patient blaming is not OK unless it is accompanied by a wide-scale public prevention campaign so that people can avoid getting a core neuropsychiatric disorder. I'd also like to know what their diagnostic criteria are since the dx criteria for FND seem to vary from provider to provider, which does nothing for my trust in the validity of any given FND diagnosis.

Also I feel that any discourse about FND must include lessons from the past (so it doesn't get repeated) and reference papers such as 'the function of 'functional'', 'limits to truth telling' and 'what is 'functional' doing in neurology and psychiatry?'

Hope you're doing OK