Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is a condition that presents a variety of symptoms, such as seizure episodes, difficulty walking, tremors, speech difficulties, and unusual sensory experiences. Traditionally, the diagnosis has relied on the absence of structural abnormalities in medical tests like Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), which has led to FND being historically referred to as “medically unexplained” or “persistent physical symptoms”.

However, recent developments have shifted the focus towards a more positive diagnostic approach that emphasises recognisable clinical signs and patterns of symptom variability, rather than solely relying on exclusionary testing.

This change underscores FND as a disorder that lies at the crossroads of neurology and psychiatry, with identifiable mechanisms that involve altered brain network function and disruptions in predictive coding.