The FND Society Podcast

In this episode Prof Clauw explores collaborative conversations about terminology with patients and across specialities. He talks about nocioplastic pain and teases out his thoughts about long covid. There is an excellent discussion about modifiable factors in ill health and the place of integrative therapies in helping patients with FND and other disorders. It's a thoughtful, hopeful podcast from a word expert in pain

Links:

• https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/cpfrc/daniel-j-clauw-md
• https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/cpfrc/about-us

Dr. David Perez, is a dual trained Neurologist-Psychiatrist and Cognitive-Affective Neuroscientist. He is an Associate Professor of Neurology & Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Clinically, Dr. Perez is the founding director of the Functional Neurological Disorder Unit at the Massachusetts General Hospital and the director of the MGH FND Research Group. 

Dr Perez talks about his early fascination with bringing brain and mind together in research and how this has energized him to create 'brain teams'. He advocates working across disciplines and across specialities to learn from and educate each other with the aim of creating precise and effective treatments for FND.  Dr Perez gives advice on how to create a dream team for treating and researching FND and muses on the pscyhopathophysical signatures of FND. 

It's an energized and energetic podcast and one sure to bring hope to patients and clinicians of all kinds interested in FND.

https://www.massgeneral.org/neurology/research/functional-neurology-research-group

https://connects.catalyst.harvard.edu/Profiles/display/Person/86553

The episode covers the FNDS Annual meeting which took place in early June in Verona Italy, including daily conference highlights, and interviews with several of the conference speakers. This was a multi-disciplinary conference bringing together leading international experts, from a range of backgrounds including neurology, physiatry, psychiatry, psychology, physical, occupational, and speech therapies. Special guest conversations were with Michael Dilley, Gaston Baslet, Dara Albert, Julie Maggio and Claire Nicholson. 

Links:

FNDS 2024 Conference
Michael Dilley
Gaston Baslet
Dara V.F. Albert
Functional Neurology Research Group
Occupational Therapy – neurosymptoms.org

This episode includes discussion with Dr. Matthew Butler regarding his professional pathway and background to FND research and practice including a detour into philosophy and nerdy book recommendations, his parallel work as a trial doctor on psychedelics for other neuropsychiatric conditions and clinical work in FND, his upcoming trial of psilocybin in FND (https://www.psifund.co.uk/) and gender, diversity, & trauma as it relates to psychedelic use.  Lastly we discuss his hopes for future studies and next steps.

Relevant Links: 

https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/matt-butler

https://www.psifund.co.uk/

Aaron D. Fobian, PhD is an Associate Professor and clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where she is the PI of the Functional Neurological Disorder and Pediatric Behavioral Health Laboratory.

This episode includes discussion with Dr. Aaron Fobian regarding her Professional Pathway and Background to FND Research and Practice, Similarities and Divergences in FND between Pediatric and Adult Populations, Pediatric FND Treatment Development- namely the ReACT Trials, Novel Approaches for Standardized Training for Behavioral Health Professionals in Pediatric FND

Links:

• ReACTFND.health
• Fobian FND+PBH Lab - Aaron Fobian FND+PBH Lab (fobianlab.com)

This episode includes discussion with Dr. Samantha Weber regarding her Professional Pathway and Background to FND Research and Practice; Defining Stress and Subtyped Trauma, How this relates to Body and Brain (cortisol levels, HPA, amygdala / hippocampus etc.); Prevalence Factors, Specifically as it Relates to Female Predominance in FND, and lastly Translating Bench to Bedside as it relates to targets for treatment (emotional, and physiological / regulatory) and evolving available clinical imaging options to identify dysfunction in FND at the patient level 

 Links:

• Samantha WEBER | PostDoc Position | Master of Health Science and Technology ETH Zurich | Inselspital, Universitätsspital Bern, Bern | Department of Neurology | Research profile (researchgate.net)
• Identification of biopsychological trait markers in functional neurological disorders - PubMed (nih.gov)
• Healthcare employment as a risk factor for functional neurological disorder: A case-control study - PubMed (nih.gov)

In this episode we speak with Dr Selma Aybek about her pathway into FND research, neuroimaging in FND, the implications for reducing stigma and unhelpful historical dichotomies or dualistic approaches in mind-body disorders. Next, we discuss the utility of lumping vs splitting given the heterogeneity of FND, as well briefly discussing outcome measures, also capturing comorbidities, and patient quality of life.

Related Links: 
Research: https://www.unifr.ch/med/fr/research/group/aybek/
Clinic: https://www.h-fr.ch/annuaire/selma-aybek-rusca
Webinars | FNDS (fndsociety.org)

This episode features a discussion with Dr. Johannes Jungilligens about his professional pathway and background in FND research and practice. It covers the Interoceptive Model of Emotions and its relevance to FND, the neuroanatomy involved in this process, and how it may relate to the prevalence of FND. Additionally, we explore how this understanding could inform treatment models. Lastly, there is a brief discussion about hopes for future growth and directions in this field of work.

Related Links:
Johannes Jungilligens
A new science of emotion: implications for functional neurological disorder
FND Society

Welcome to the FND Society Podcast, a series tailored for clinicians and researchers in the field of Functional Neurologic Disorders. 

The podcast covers a wide range of topics, from basic science aspects like neuroimaging and biomarkers to clinical practice issues such as diagnosis, treatments, and outcomes. It also explores how FND is understood and treated within the current medical and psychological paradigms, with a goal to enhance knowledge and awareness across the medical community.

Each episode promises an informal yet academically oriented discussion, intended to stimulate thought and discussion within the professional community. The views and opinions expressed represent the personal perspectives of the host and guests, adding diverse viewpoints to the discourse.

Our host, Erica Cotton,  a neuropsychologist from Northwestern University, brings her extensive experience in functional neurologic disorders, including functional seizures, functional movements, and functional cognitive disorders.

Joining Erica is Ingrid Hoeritzauer, a Consultant Neurologist with the Edinburgh Functional Neurological Disorders Research Group, serves as the content curator and production. Her expertise in neurology and deep involvement in FND research ensures that each episode is rich with the latest insights and developments in the field. Our sound production engineer and editor is Michael Romeo, a Clinical Psychologist from Newcastle, Australia specialising in FND.

At the end of each episode we offer a 50% discount code for a first-year membership fee for the FND Society. This is a fantastic opportunity for listeners to become part of a larger community that is actively involved in advancing the understanding and treatment of FND.

We are thrilled to offer this podcast series. Our goal is to make this a valuable and accessible resource for professionals, delivering the latest research in FND through engaging conversations with experts in the field. We aim for this series to be a practical and informative experience, connecting listeners directly with groundbreaking developments and insights in FND. It's our hope that each episode will contribute meaningfully to your professional knowledge and understanding.

For more information about the FND Society visit: www.fndsociety.org