Illness perceptions, experiences of stigma and engagement in functional neurological disorder (FND): exploring the role of multidisciplinary group education sessions.

Background: A critical first step in managing functional neurological disorder (FND) is a positive diagnosis and clear explanation using an understandable illness model. Multidisciplinary group education sessions are one way to achieve this, with some evidence they improve understanding, confidence in diagnosis and outcomes with further treatment. In many conditions, illness perceptions and stigma affect distress, functioning, quality of life and engagement.

The APE2 nuclease is essential for DNA double-strand break repair by microhomology-mediated end joining.

Microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ) is an intrinsically mutagenic pathway of DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair essential for proliferation of homologous recombination (HR)-deficient tumors. Although targeting MMEJ has emerged as a powerful strategy to eliminate HR-deficient (HRD) cancers, this is limited by an incomplete understanding of the mechanism and factors required for MMEJ repair. Here, we identify the APE2 nuclease as an MMEJ effector.

An evaluation of initial engagement with a virtual group-based psychological treatment for functional seizures.

Functional seizures are a common neurological presentation but access to evidence-based treatments is sporadic and often delayed. Patient engagement is an essential prerequisite to any treatment benefits, but previous research has not investigated engagement with psychological group treatments. In this service evaluation, we compared patients who initially engaged and disengaged from an online CBT-based group treatment on demographic and clinical variables, and illness-related beliefs.

Cognitive behavior therapy for comorbid dissociative seizures in patients with epilepsy.

Objectives: The main aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for comorbid dissociative seizures (DS) in patients with epilepsy.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective case note review of 14 patients with epilepsy who underwent outpatient CBT for DS in a tertiary neuropsychiatry service. The diagnosis of DS was confirmed by neurologists clinically and/or following video-telemetry electroencephalogram (EEG).

Telephone psychotherapy in multiple sclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: The objective of the study was to review the evidence for the effectiveness of telephone psychotherapy on psychological outcomes in people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Method: We conducted a systematic search of EMBASE, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and hand-searched relevant journals to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the effectiveness of telephone psychotherapy on psychological outcomes in people with MS (last search completed on October 1, 2015). The methodological quality of each included trial was assessed, based on a standardized list of methodological criteria.