Imaging study provides new biological insights on functional neurological disorder

Individuals with functional neurological disorder (FND) have symptoms not explained by traditional neurological conditions, including limb weakness, tremor, gait abnormalities, seizures and sensory deficits. New research led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and published in Psychological Medicine has uncovered pathways in the brain's white matter that may be altered in patients with FND. The findings advance current understanding of the mechanisms involved in this disease, and offer the possibility of identifying markers of the condition and patients' prognosis.