SynthesisJournal of neurology2025
Treatment of functional neurological disorder: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
Synthesis in Journal of neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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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.
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.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Diagnostic Overshadowing in Functional Neurological Disorder Leading to a Diagnosis of Acute Motor and Sensory Axonal Neuropathy: A Case Report.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Gestational Diabetic Ketoacidosis Complicated by a Probable Postpartum Functional Neurological Disorder Following Severe Preeclampsia and Intrauterine Fetal Demise: A Case Report.International medical case reports journal · 2026Article
- The effectiveness of specialist cognitive behavioural therapy for functional neurological disorder: a service evaluation.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundFunctional Neurological Disorder (FND) is among the most common reasons for neurology outpatient referrals, characterized by disabling motor, sensory, speech, and dissociative symptoms. It poses diagnostic and therapeutic challenges, often requiring multidisciplinary management and a biopsychosocial framework.
objectiveTo perform an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses evaluating treatment efficacy across different FND subtypes, stratifying by intervention type, outcome direction, and quality of evidence.
methodsWe systematically screened and analyzed 17 reviews encompassing psychological therapies, physiotherapy, neuromodulation, multidisciplinary rehabilitation, and pharmacological approaches. Studies were assessed for effect direction, GRADE certainty, and risk of bias across 10 methodological domains.
resultsCognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) demonstrated consistent benefit for PNES and mixed presentations, particularly when delivered within multidisciplinary frameworks. Physiotherapy showed moderate improvements in functional motor symptoms, while neuromodulation yielded promising but inconsistent results. Hypnosis and suggestion-based treatments provided subjective benefit in select cases, whereas pharmacological interventions were largely used adjunctively to manage psychiatric comorbidities. Risk of bias and heterogeneity in outcome measures limited direct comparisons, and the overall methodological quality varied across studies.
conclusionFND management appears to benefit most from tailored, multimodal approaches. While CBT and physiotherapy remain foundational, the overall quality of evidence remains moderate at best, highlighting a need for standardized outcome measures and rigorous trial designs to strengthen future practice guidelines.
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Registered trials
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