Clinician-rated outcomes of patients with functional neurological disorders treated in an outpatient clinic.

BACKGROUND

Patients with functional neurological (conversion) disorder (FND) have historically been difficult to treat. Outcomes have been studied in research trials, documenting improvements; however, limited information is available from a community-treated FND cohort.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to examine clinical outcomes in outpatients with FND treated with the Neuro-Behavioral Therapy (NBT) approach. These uncontrolled setting treatment data could complement more structured clinical studies results.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective chart review of consecutive patients diagnosed with FND, ages 17 to 75, who were treated with the NBT workbook at the Rhode Island Hospital Behavioral Health clinic between 2014 and 2022. NBT consisted of 45-minute, individual, outpatient sessions, in clinic or via telehealth with one clinician. Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), and Clinical Global Impression (CGI) -Severity, and -Improvement were scored for every appointment.

RESULTS

Baseline characteristics are available for 107 patients. Mean age at FND symptom onset was 37 years. Patients had a mix of FND semiologies, which included Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures (71%), Functional Movement Disorder (24.3%), Functional Sensory Disorder (14%), Functional Weakness (6.5%), and Functional Speech Disorder (5.6%). Clinical evaluation scores revealed improvements over time.

CONCLUSIONS

We describe a well-characterized sample of patients with various and mixed FND semiologies, who received manualized therapy, NBT, in an outpatient clinic. Patients had similar psychosocial profiles to those in clinical studies and displayed improvement in clinical measures. These results demonstrate the practicability of NBT for motor FND semiologies and for PNES, in a "real-world" outpatient practice, extending care beyond structured clinical trials.