Comparing outcomes from the Scottish Neurological Symptoms Study: Do patients with functional symptomatology experience a different clinical trajectory?

Functional neurological disorders (FNDs) are characterised by the experience of nervous system dysfunction in the absence of an underlying disease process. People may suffer from weakness, paralysis, tremor, seizures, pain and many other symptoms without an identifiable cause. As a result, people with FNDs have classically been stigmatised, unable to receive medical help and as a consequence report significant disability. The Edinburgh Functional Disorders Research Group, codirected by Dr Stone and Dr Carson is a world leading group in this area. We seek to understand what features of patients with functional disorders may predict a worse clinical outcome compared with other neurological conditions. Our aim is early identification and intervention in those who are likely to experience severe consequences from their disease.