Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42097873›Full record

ArticleJournal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry2026

Aetiological factors in functional seizures and functional motor symptoms: shared and distinct features.

L S Merritt Millman, Snigdha Bhuma, Yasmine Basamh, Jemima Uloyok-Job, Jessica Davies, Lauren Blunstone, Akshaana Manoharan, Jan A Coebergh, Anthony S David, Mark J Edwards and 9 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

19 authors.

L S Merritt MillmanKing's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7872-0679
Snigdha BhumaSouth London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Yasmine BasamhKing's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.
Jemima Uloyok-JobKing's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.
Jessica DaviesKing's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-4850-157X
Lauren BlunstoneKing's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.
Akshaana ManoharanKing's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.
Jan A CoeberghNeurology, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, England, UK.
Anthony S DavidInstitute of Mental Health, Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0967-774X
Mark J EdwardsKing's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.
Laura H GoldsteinKing's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9387-3035
John HodsollKing's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.
Mitul A MehtaKing's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.
Timothy R NicholsonKing's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.
Biba StantonKing's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.
Joel S WinstonKing's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.
Trudie ChalderKing's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0775-1045
Matthew HotopfKing's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.
Susannah PickKing's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK susannah.pick@kcl.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2001-6723

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFunctional seizures (FS) and functional motor symptoms (FMS), subtypes of functional neurological disorder, may involve shared and distinct predisposing, precipitating, perpetuating and triggering (PPPT) factors. This study investigated potential self-reported PPPT factors in FS and FMS separately.

methods200 participants (FS=50, FMS=50, individuals with anxiety and/or depression (clinical controls [CC]=50, healthy controls [HC]=50) completed an in-depth medical history interview and online questionnaires to assess potential aetiological factors including traumatic/adverse life events, alexithymia, autistic traits, psychological and physical symptoms, illness perceptions, cognitive-behavioural responses and outcome measures of general functioning and health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

resultsParticipants with FS more frequently reported traumatic/adverse events and psychopathology (eg, dissociation, posttraumatic stress disorder) as possible illness causes/precipitating factors and sensory symptom triggers, relative to FMS and/or CCs. In contrast, participants with FMS endorsed physical illness causes/precipitating factors and physical activity and emotion-related symptom triggers more frequently than FS and/or CCs. Physical and dissociative symptoms were elevated, alongside reductions in HRQoL and general functioning in FS/FMS compared with CCs/HCs. Greater current, threatening illness-related beliefs/cognitions were disclosed in FS/FMS compared with CCs. Negative associations between HRQoL, cognitive-behavioural responses and traumatic/adverse events were also seen in FS/FMS.

conclusionsTraumatic events and psychopathology may be more prominently involved in the development/maintenance of FS and physical illness/injury, physical functioning and alexithymia may be more central to FMS. Unhelpful illness-related beliefs and impacts on HRQoL and general functioning are shared between these subtypes. The results of this study provide insight into potential unique and overlapping characteristics of FS/FMS, with implications for treatment.

Indexed as

Affective SymptomsConversion DisorderSeizuresAdultDissociative DisordersFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedQuality of LifeYoung AdultFUNCTIONAL NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERNEUROPSYCHIATRYPSYCHIATRYQUALITY OF LIFE

Identifiers

PMID42097873
PMCPMC13479279

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.