Publications by authors named "Eleanor Short"
Etiological Factors and Symptom Triggers in Functional Motor Symptoms and Functional Seizures: A Pilot Investigation.
J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci
October 2024
Objective: This study examined etiological factors and symptom triggers of functional motor symptoms (FMS) or functional seizures (FS) and assessed potential relationships with relevant clinical features (i.e., functional symptoms, quality of life, and general functioning).
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- The study investigated how highly arousing emotional stimuli affect functional neurological symptoms (FNS) in individuals with functional neurological disorder (FND) compared to healthy controls, focusing on the relationship between emotional response and autonomic reactivity.
- Results showed that FND participants reported higher FNS after viewing negative images, particularly when viewing them passively, and physiological measures, such as skin conductance and heart rate, correlated with those symptom ratings.
- The findings suggest that emotional events may influence FNS through autonomic responses rather than changes in subjective feelings, with cognitive detachment potentially playing a moderating role; more research is needed to explore the neural mechanisms involved.
Article Synopsis
- The study evaluated neurocognitive functioning in individuals with functional motor symptoms (FMS) and functional seizures (FS) compared to healthy controls, focusing on attention, executive function, social cognition, and metacognitive accuracy.
- Results indicated no significant differences in objective cognitive tests between the two groups, but the FMS/FS group showed faster reaction times on an emotional task and reported more cognitive complaints in daily life.
- The findings highlight a disconnect between subjective self-reports of cognitive issues and actual performance on cognitive assessments in the FMS/FS group, potentially influenced by associated factors like depression and psychological symptoms.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigated interoception (awareness of internal body states) in individuals with functional motor symptoms (FMS) and seizures (FS) compared to healthy controls (HC), focusing on measures of accuracy and insight.* -
- Results showed no significant differences in interoceptive accuracy or confidence between the two groups, but those with FMS/FS scored lower on certain awareness subscales related to not being distracted and trusting bodily signals.* -
- Impaired interoceptive accuracy might not be central to FMS/FS; instead, a lack of insight and altered body awareness could play a role in the severity and impact of symptoms, suggesting that reduced self-evaluation certainty contributes to the disorder's development