The FND Society Podcast

This episode is jointly hosted with the International League Against Epilepsy Sharp Waves podcast. My cohost is Dr. Ayushe Sharma a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Blumenfeld Lab in Neurology at Yale School of Medicine.  Our guests this episode are Dr. Barbara Dworetzky and Dr. Dara Albert. Dr. Barbara Dworetzky is the A.J. Trustey Endowed Chair in Neurology, Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical S...

Dr. Julia Doss is the owner and director of Doss Clinic of Health Psychology. The clinic is focused on providing care for patients with Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures (PNES) and other forms of Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). She is a clinical psychologist with a pediatric specialization. In practice she has focused the majority of her 20 year career on assisting in diagnosis and treatme...

This week our guest is Dr. Jeff Waugh. Dr. Waugh is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Neuroscience at the University of Texas, Southwestern, in Dallas. He founded and directs the Pediatric Movement Disorders Program and founded and co-directs the Pediatric Functional Neurological Disorders Clinic. His research centers on neuropsychiatric disorders of the striatum, a brain area that sorts an...

This episode’s guest is Dr. Sarah Cope, DClinPsy. Dr. Cope is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist at St. Georges University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as well as South West London & St. Georges Mental Health NHS Trust. She is an accredited EMDR & CBT Therapist.   We discuss her pathway into FND, the basics of EMDR therapy (protocols, mechanisms, targets), the use of EMDR in FND, specifi...

This is a 3 part panel series, exploring FND across the international arena. Part 1 includes FND diagnosis, access, and discussion of treatment landscapes, Part 2 including FND culturally relevant factors within the biopsychosocialspiritual model, and Part 3 covers FND research, funding, and international collaborations.  My gracious guests include: Lucia Tesolin a neurologist in charge of the Fun...

This is a 3 part panel series, exploring FND across the international arena. Part 1 includes FND diagnosis, access, and discussion of treatment landscapes, Part 2 including FND culturally relevant factors within the biopsychosocialspiritual model, and Part 3 covers FND research, funding, and international collaborations.  My gracious guests include: Lucia Tesolin a neurologist in charge of the Fun...

Multi-Cultural Podcast Series: Part 1 FND Diagnosis, Access, & Treatment Landscapes This is a 3 part panel series, exploring FND across the international arena. Part 1 includes FND diagnosis, access, and discussion of treatment landscapes, Part 2 including FND culturally relevant factors within the biopsychosocialspiritual model, and Part 3 covers FND research, funding, and international colla...

In this episode we have two guests, both esteemed board-certified neuropsychologists. Dr. Noah Silverberg is an associate professor at the University of British Columbia, and Dr. Ryan Van Patten is an assistant professor at Brown University.    In this conversation, we discuss neuropsychological educational pathways, and current training needs as it relates to FND, neuropsychologist’s role across...

This episode’s guest is Clare Nicholson. Clare has a Masters in Clinical Research, and a Bachelors degree in Occupational Therapy and works at the National Hospital For Neurology and Neurosurgery in London. She was the lead author on the international Occupational Therapy Consensus Recommendations for Functional Neurological Disorders, and is currently undertaking a funded doctoral fellowship at U...

This episode’s guest is Dr. Beatrice Garcin  who is a neurologist at Avicenne Hospital and Sorbonne Paris Nord University. We cover a range of topics including TMS in FND, neurologic comorbidities in FND, positive signs / rule in signs in FND, and FND practice specific to France / French culture.  Link for the discussed article- Motor functional neurologic disorders: An update: https://pubmed.ncbi...

Professor Jeffrey Staab from the Mayo clinic brings together balance and psychiatry in his academic and clinical practice.  He joins Dr Cotton in this podcast to speak about PPPD, vestibular migraine and the impact of dizziness on quality of life.  Listen in to find the most up to date understanding of the neuroscience of balance and stay to enjoy the useful information provided to take back to th...

This episode’s guest is Dr. Biba Stanton, the clinical lead for Neurology at Kings College Hospital in London. One of Dr. Stanton specialties is the complimentary elements of Neurology & Psychiatry for FND, and we discuss the biopsychosocial model, the role of FND educational groups, best practices for prevention of iatrogenic harm in FND, and FND & special population considerations (such...

This brief conversation introduces some of the educational opportunities within FNDS, namely highlighting the virtual educational course – FND: Rehabilitation 101 put together by Glenn Nielsen and Sarah Lidstone – which is coming out by the end of March, and the Hybrid Functional Seizures and Epilepsy Course which is occurring June 13th – 14th in Boston, co-chaired by Mahinda Yogarajah, and Barbar...

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...

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 fasc...

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 thera...

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...

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...

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 tar...

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 qua...

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...

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 psychol...