Title |
Functional neurological disorder in children and young people: Incidence, clinical features, and prognosis
|
---|---|
Published in |
Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, February 2023
|
DOI | 10.1111/dmcn.15538 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Kenneith Yong, Richard F. M. Chin, Jay Shetty, Kirsty Hogg, Kieran Burgess, Max Lindsay, Ailsa McLellan, Jon Stone, Krishnaraya KamathTallur, the Edinburgh Paediatric FND Study Group |
Abstract |
To report incidence, demographic and clinical characteristics, and symptom outcome of functional neurological disorder (FND) in children. Children diagnosed with FND at a regional children's hospital were prospectively recruited by weekly active surveillance for 36 months. Demographic, clinical, and follow-up data were retrospectively extracted by review of electronic records. Descriptive statistical analyses were used. Ninety-seven children (age range 5-15 years) met the case definition of FND (annual incidence 18.3 per 100 000 children). Children with FND were likely to be female (n = 68 [70%]) and older (median 13 years) with no difference in the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (marker of socioeconomic status) compared with the general childhood population. Functional motor (41%) and sensory (41%) symptoms were most common; other somatic symptoms such as headache (31%) and pain (27%) were frequent. Self-reported psychiatric symptoms and infection/inflammation were the most common predisposing and precipitating factors respectively. At a median of 15 months follow-up, 49% of 75 children reported improvement or resolution of FND symptoms with no prognostic factors found. At this regional centre, FND in children had a higher incidence than previously reported and a less optimistic outcome than in some other studies. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 16 | 35% |
United States | 7 | 15% |
Australia | 2 | 4% |
France | 2 | 4% |
Canada | 2 | 4% |
Iceland | 1 | 2% |
Netherlands | 1 | 2% |
Mexico | 1 | 2% |
Belgium | 1 | 2% |
Other | 0 | 0% |
Unknown | 13 | 28% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 25 | 54% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 10 | 22% |
Scientists | 8 | 17% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 3 | 7% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 20 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Professor | 3 | 15% |
Researcher | 2 | 10% |
Other | 1 | 5% |
Lecturer > Senior Lecturer | 1 | 5% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 1 | 5% |
Other | 3 | 15% |
Unknown | 9 | 45% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Medicine and Dentistry | 5 | 25% |
Unspecified | 1 | 5% |
Mathematics | 1 | 5% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 1 | 5% |
Neuroscience | 1 | 5% |
Other | 1 | 5% |
Unknown | 10 | 50% |