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. 2023 Sep;65(9):1238-1246.
doi: 10.1111/dmcn.15538. Epub 2023 Feb 8.

Functional neurological disorder in children and young people: Incidence, clinical features, and prognosis

Kenneith Yong  1 , Richard F M Chin  1   2   3 , Jay Shetty  1   2 , Kirsty Hogg  1 , Kieran Burgess  1 , Max Lindsay  1 , Ailsa McLellan  1 , Jon Stone  3 , Krishnaraya KamathTallur  1 ; Edinburgh Paediatric FND Study Group
Collaborators, Affiliations
Free article

Functional neurological disorder in children and young people: Incidence, clinical features, and prognosis

Kenneith Yong et al. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2023 Sep.
Free article

Abstract

Aim: To report incidence, demographic and clinical characteristics, and symptom outcome of functional neurological disorder (FND) in children.

Method: 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.

Results: 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.

Interpretation: At this regional centre, FND in children had a higher incidence than previously reported and a less optimistic outcome than in some other studies.

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References

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