Publications by authors named "Jennifer Freeburn"

Background: Brain imaging studies investigating grey matter in functional neurological disorder (FND) have used univariate approaches to report group-level differences compared with healthy controls (HCs). However, these findings have limited translatability because they do not differentiate patients from controls at the individual-level.

Methods: 183 participants were prospectively recruited across three groups: 61 patients with mixed FND (FND-mixed), 61 age-matched and sex-matched HCs and 61 age, sex, depression and anxiety-matched psychiatric controls (PCs).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Historically, formal training for speech-language therapists (SLTs) in the area of functional speech and voice disorders (FSVD) has been limited, as has the body of empirical research in this content area. Recent efforts in the field have codified expert opinions on best practices for diagnosing and treating FSVD and have begun to demonstrate positive treatment outcomes. To provide comprehensive interventions for these complex conditions at the intersection of neurology, psychiatry, and other medical specialties, the SLT must not only build knowledge of diagnostic strategies and components of symptomatic treatment in FSVD but also embrace behavior change techniques and counseling strategies.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: While expert consensus recommendations support the use of speech and language therapy (SLT) for patients with functional speech disorder (FND-speech), there are limited published data on clinical outcomes.

Objective: To retrospectively report the treatment outcomes and clinical characteristics of patients with FND-speech that attended outpatient SLT as part of a multidisciplinary program for functional neurological disorder (FND).

Methods: In this case series, we included adult patients with FND-speech that consecutively participated in outpatient SLT at our institution between October 2014 and September 2021.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Communication problems (eg, dysphonia, dysfluency and language and articulation disorders), swallowing disorders (dysphagia and globus), cough and upper airway symptoms, resulting from functional neurological disorder (FND), are commonly encountered by speech and language professionals. However, there are few descriptions in the literature of the most effective practical management approaches. This consensus document aims to provide recommendations for assessment and intervention that are relevant to both adults and young people.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to explore how cognitive demands affect motor performance during recovery from acute stroke by testing patients on two motor tasks with differing cognitive load.
  • Performance on the cognitively demanding Box & Blocks Test was significantly more impaired compared to Grip Strength, indicating that cognitive dysfunction notably affects complex motor tasks.
  • Results suggest that cognitive and motor functions are interconnected, highlighting the importance of considering cognitive demands in rehabilitation strategies after a stroke.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF