Investigating causes and mechanisms in FND
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating psychobiological causes and mechanisms in functional seizures and functional motor symptoms
IRAS ID
322652
Contact name
Susannah Pick
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Functional neurological disorder (FND) is an illness in which neurological symptoms (e.g., seizures, movement, sensory) occur in the absence of clear damage to the nervous system. Instead, FND symptoms seem to arise from differences in how the brain processes information about the rest of the body, resulting from a variety of biological, psychological and social risk factors which differ between individuals. More research is needed to specify the precise biological and psychological processes underlying FND symptoms, and how these might relate to particular risk factors.
This research will investigate risk factors, triggers and underlying processes in adults with FND with either functional motor symptoms (FMS) or functional seizures (FS). Patients will be recruited from local NHS neurology/neuropsychiatry services and through FND patient support organisations. We will compare the FMS and FS groups to two ‘control’ groups who are either healthy (i.e., no physical or mental health diagnoses) or who experience common mental health symptoms (i.e., anxiety, depression).
Participants will be invited to complete a range of activities, as follows:
1. An in-depth interview and online questionnaire pack, to assess a range of possible background risk factors including mental and physical health symptoms, bodily and emotional awareness, and illness-related beliefs and behaviours.
2. A laboratory research session, to assess relevant cognitive functions (e.g., memory, attention, problem-solving, bodily awareness) and bodily processes (e.g., heart rate, brain activity).
3. A brain scan, to measure the structure and functioning of different parts of the brain.
4. A remote follow-up involving questionnaires delivered with a smartphone app and a wearable device, to measure daily experiences, aspects of physical functioning and possible symptoms triggers in everyday life.The research is funded by the Medical Research Council and the NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre. The project will be carried out from 2023 to 2026.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/NW/0217
Date of REC Opinion
18 Sep 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion