Functional Neurological Disorder (FND/ Conversion Disorder) is a highly prevalent and disabling neuropsychiatric condition. Motor FND symptoms include Nonepileptic Seizures, Functional Movement Disorders and Functional Weakness. Clinical research across these motor FND subtypes, including research studies from the candidate's laboratory, suggest that these populations share many clinical and phenotypic similarities that warrant increased research integration. Furthermore, despite the prevalence of motor FND, little is known about the underlying pathophysiology of this condition, which is a prerequisite for the development of biologically informed prognostic and treatment response biomarkers. Across 3 published neurobiologically focused articles, the candidate proposed a framework through which to conceptualize motor FND. It is suggested that motor FND develops in the context of structural and functional alterations in neurocircuits mediating emotion awareness/expression, bodily awareness, viscerosomatic processing and behavioral regulation. The overall goal of this project is to comprehensively investigate structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarkers of prognosis across motor FND. Multimodal structural and functional MRI techniques (including voxel-based morphometry, cortical thickness, resting-state functional connectivity and diffusion tensor imaging tractography) will be used to systemically probe brain-prognosis relationships. Novel aspects of this proposal include the study of the full spectrum of motor FND, consistent with a trans-diagnostic approach.
Age range
18 Years – 65 Years
Sex
ALL
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Gray Matter Volume Biomarkers of 6 Month Prognosis as Measured by Voxel Based Morphometry - Within Group Comparison
Timeframe: baseline and 6 months
Resting State Functional Connectivity Strength Biomarkers of 6 Month Prognosis - Within Group Comparison
Timeframe: baseline and 6 months
The Integrity of Specific White Matter Tracts (Fractional Anisotropy) as Measured by Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) Tractography Will Relate to 6-month Prognosis
Timeframe: baseline and 6 months