Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37114221›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in neurology2023

Functional neurological symptoms are a frequent and relevant comorbidity in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Katya Piliavska, Michael Dantlgraber, Christian Dettmers, Michael Jöbges, Joachim Liepert, Roger Schmidt

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in neurology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
3.1field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Iatrogenic harm in functional neurological disorder.Brain : a journal of neurology · 2025
    Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Katya PiliavskaLurija Institute for Rehabilitation Sciences and Health Research, Allensbach, Germany.
Michael DantlgraberKalaidos University of Applied Sciences, Zürich, Switzerland.
Christian DettmersLurija Institute for Rehabilitation Sciences and Health Research, Allensbach, Germany.
Michael JöbgesLurija Institute for Rehabilitation Sciences and Health Research, Allensbach, Germany.
Joachim LiepertLurija Institute for Rehabilitation Sciences and Health Research, Allensbach, Germany.
Roger SchmidtLurija Institute for Rehabilitation Sciences and Health Research, Allensbach, Germany.
Allensbach Institute · DEKalaidos University of Applied Sciences · CHKantonsspital St. Gallen · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Functional neurological symptoms (FNS) in multiple sclerosis (MS) have shown to be underinvestigated even though neurological diseases such as MS represent a risk factor for developing FNS. Comorbidity of FNS and MS can produce high personal and social costs since FNS patients have high healthcare utilization costs and a quality of life at least as impaired as in patients with disorders with underlying structural pathology. This study aims to assess comorbid FNS in patients with MS (pwMS) and investigate whether FNS in pwMS are associated with poorer health-related quality of life and work ability. Methods: Newly admitted patients (234) with MS were studied during their stay at Kliniken Schmieder, a neurological rehabilitation clinic in Konstanz, Germany. The degree to which the overall clinical picture was explained by MS pathology was rated by neurologists and allied health practitioners on a five-point Likert scale. Additionally, neurologists rated each symptom reported by the patients. Health-related quality of life was assessed using a self-report questionnaire and work ability was assessed using the mean number of hours worked per day and information regarding disability pension as reported by patients. Results: In 55.1% of cases, the clinical picture was completely explained by structural pathology due to MS. 17.1% of pwMS presented an overall clinical picture half or less of which could be explained by underlying structural pathology. PwMS with a higher comorbid FNS burden had a lower health-related quality of life and reported fewer working hours per day than pwMS with symptoms explained by structural pathology. Furthermore, pwMS with a full disability pension had a higher comorbid FNS burden than pwMS with no or partial disability pension. Discussion: These results show that FNS should be addressed diagnostically and therapeutically since such symptoms are an important comorbidity in MS that is related to poorer health-related quality of life and lower work ability.

Indexed as

functional neurological symptomshealth-related quality of lifemultiple sclerosisneurological rehabilitationwork ability

Identifiers

PMID37114221
PMCPMC10126263
OpenAlexW4364368788

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.