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2025 Volume 5, Number 1 First President of the FND Society and Renowned Neurologist Dr. Mark Hallett Receives Inaugural FNDS Founder Award
Dr. Hallett earned his A.B. and M.D. from Harvard University, followed by a medical internship at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital and a neurology residency at Massachusetts General Hospital. He then completed fellowships in neurophysiology at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Institute of Psychiatry in London. After serving as Chief of the Clinical Neurophysiology Laboratory at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, he later became Chief of both the Medical Neurology Branch and the Human Motor Control Section at the NIH. Since 2023, he has held the title of Scientist Emeritus at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). In 2017, Dr. Hallett, alongside Professors Jon Stone and Alan Carson, organized an international meeting on FND in Edinburgh, Scotland. This effort laid the foundation for the FND Society, uniting clinicians, scientists, and advocates from multiple disciplines with a shared mission: advancing the understanding and treatment of Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). Under Dr. Hallett’s leadership and vision, the FND Society has grown to over 1,200 members and has successfully hosted international conferences in Boston, USA, and Verona, Italy. In presenting this recognition, FNDS President Dr. Barbara Dworetzky shared: "Your instrumental role in founding the FND Society and leading us into the future, your significant contributions, and your profound impact on the field of Functional Neurological Disorder and neuromuscular neurology are deeply appreciated by countless clinicians, researchers, and patients—far beyond our society’s leadership and members." To further honor Dr. Hallett’s immeasurable contributions, the Mark Hallett Award will be established and bestowed upon deserving members of the FNDS. Congratulations, Dr. Hallett, on this well-deserved accolade! Your dedication has enriched the lives of patients, students, and colleagues alike, and we are richer in knowledge and compassion because of you. We invite you to join us in the creation of a keepsake booklet with your favorite story, interaction, photo, or humorous anecdote about Dr. Hallett. The deadline to create a page in the keepsake booklet is March 17, 2025. The booklet will be presented to him this Spring.
The American Epilepsy Society features multiple FND related sessions and FNDS members!  From left to right: Dr. Selma Aybek,
Dr. Dara Albert, and Dr. Erica Cotton At the Annual Meeting hosted in Los Angeles, CA, this past December, the American Epilepsy Society (AES) provided a broad range of symposia and posters presenting advances in the diagnosis and treatment of functional seizures (FS). Included in this impressive lineup was the annual course session titled “Beyond the EEG: Psychogenic Non-epileptic (Functional) Seizures”, with speakers Heather McKee, MD, Greg Grunberg presenting the patient perspective, Dr. Selma Aybek describing precision medicine in FS, Dr. Dara Albert on the intricacies of pediatric FS management, and Dr. Erica Cotton covering evidence-based treatments.
The Royal Society Hosts Discussion Meeting on the Intersection of Digital Healthcare and FND This past November, the Royal Society hosted a key two-day discussion titled "Digital Healthcare for the Management of Functional Neurological Disorders". This event brought together leading experts and patient advocates to explore innovative digital healthcare solutions aimed at improving the management and accessibility of treatments for FND. The meeting addressed the significant challenges to access and effective care. Notably, a survey highlighted that 50% of UK health boards lack specific treatment agreements for FND, underscoring the urgency for collaborative efforts in this domain. Conversations centered on advancements in digital healthcare technologies, including non-invasive brain stimulation and virtual reality, which offer promising new avenues for those living with FND. The event was organized by Dr. Anirban Dutta and Dr. Abhijit Das, who are renowned for their contributions to neuroengineering and neurorehabilitation. Their leadership facilitated a multidisciplinary dialogue, fostering partnerships between clinicians, researchers, and patient groups. This collaborative approach is poised to drive the development of effective digital healthcare strategies, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for individuals affected by FND. Several FNDS members participated in the event’s program, including Prof. Jon Stone, Prof. Mark Edwards, Prof. Markus Reuber, Dr. Susannah Pick, Dr. Glenn Nielsen, Prof. Selma Aybek, Prof. Alan Carson, and Dr. Tim Nicholson. Their talks, along with many others, may be viewed online.
FND Will Be Front and Center at the American Neuropsychiatric Association’s 35th Annual Meeting, Montreal, Quebec, March 12 -15, 2025 The American Neuropsychiatric Association (ANPA) serves as a professional home for neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, advanced practice providers, neuroscientists, and other allied professionals dedicated to understanding brain-behavior relationships to better serve patients with complex neuropsychiatric conditions. For its 35th Annual Meeting, which will be held in Montreal from March 12–15, 2025, ANPA will feature several speakers and poster presentations focused on FND. Thursday, March 13, 2025 Sessions 9:30 AM -10:30 AM: Enactive/Predictive Brain and FND: From Theory to Full Recovery| Chair: Laury Chamelian, MD Faculty: Arline-Aude Bérubé, MD; Pierre-Luc Lévesque, BPhT; Delphine Bélanger, DO 10:45 – 11:45 AM: Functional Movement Disorder: Moving from Triage to Rehabilitation |Chair: Gabriela Gilmour, MD Faculty: Kimberly Williams, MD, MSc; Sarah Lidstone, MD, PhD; Megan Howlett, MD Examples of posters during the ANPA Annual Meeting Poster Number 12: Perceptions of Functional Neurological Disorder: A Resident-Based Educational Intervention Poster Number 25: Leveraging the Electronic Medical Record for Functional Neurological Disorder: A Scoping Review Poster Number 54: A brain circuit-based approach for seizure-like symptoms: an early feasibility study protocol of transcranial focused ultrasound deep brain stimulation for epileptic seizures and non-epileptic events Poster Number 61: Use of hypnosis as a step in diagnosing FND in organic deaf person: a case report Poster Number 62: Rewiring the Disconnect: Innovating Clinical Pathways for Functional Neurological Disorder Poster Number 64: Depression and Anxiety Measures in a Functional Neurological Disorder Population: A Prospective Study Poster Number 82: Agree or Disagree: Impact of Diagnostic Insight on 1-year Outcomes in Functional Neurological Disorder Poster Number 119: A Consultation Liaison Psychiatry Model for Managing Functional Neurological Disorders in Primary Care Settings Poster Number 122: Outpatient Skills-Based Psychotherapy for Functional Neurological Disorder: A Retrospective Cohort Study Poster Number 132: Father Induced Catatonia? A Case of Functional Neurological Disorder Presenting as Catatonia Poster Number 136: Geschwind Syndrome in a Patient with Deja Vu and Functional Neurological Disorder Poster Number 137: Potential Utility of Computational Psychiatry in Translational Functional Neurological Disorders (FND) Research Involving ‘Experts by Experience’ (EBE) Poster Number 178: Ictal Injury in Functional Nonepileptic Seizures: Insights from a Case Study Poster Number 186: Functional Neurological Disorder and Myasthenia Gravis: A Case Report of Clinical Overlap Poster Number 187: A case of posterior cortical atrophy presenting as functional neurological disorder: Dilemmas and opportunities in an era of biomarkers
To explore the entire 2025 ANPA Annual Meeting Program visit ANPA’s official website.
Following previous high-yield and popular continuing education (CE) courses, FND: Putting Principles into Practice and FND: Psychological Treatment 101, the FND Society will soon launch our next virtual course focused on rehabilitative therapies. Chaired by our very own Dr. Glenn Nielsen and Dr. Sarah Lidstone, we will learn from expert occupational therapists, speech pathologists/speech & language therapists, physiotherapists, nurses, social workers, and specialist physicians. The objectives will be applicable to all who are involved in the care of people living with FND. Modules will touch on themes of treatment planning and education, assessment, therapeutic techniques, adapting treatments to pediatric populations, relapse prevention, integrating body and mind, psychological safety, and viewing rehabilitative therapy through the patient perspective. The course will be available March 2025. Keep an eye out for this incredible training!
FND Society Journal Club Thursday, April 3, 2025 at 11:00 am Eastern Time (4:00 pm UTC)
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Dr. Mark Hallett has been honored with the first-ever FNDS Founder Award in recognition of his pioneering contributions to establishing, guiding, and sustaining the Functional Neurological Disorder Society (FNDS). With this award, the FNDS celebrates Dr. Hallett’s unwavering dedication and generous mentorship, both within and outside the Society.
In other exciting news, we are thrilled to share Dr. Laura Strom and Dr. Wesley Kerr, FND Society members and epileptologists, will serve as Chair and Vice-Chair, respectively, of the AES Personalizing Treatment of Functional Seizures in Diverse Populations Special Interest Group. Drs. Strom and Kerr noted “Our goal for the SIG is to demonstrate how the treatment of functional seizures can be tailored to affirm diversity in this population. Identifying and affirming the cultural, socioeconomic, gender, sexual, cognitive, and neurodiversity of patients can be a key to improving both engagement with and effectiveness of treatment. In some circumstances, affirming this diversity was sufficient for patients to achieve sustained remission. In other circumstances, lack of affirming this diversity can contribute to treatment failure. This SIG will give practical guidance about how treatment approaches can be tailored based on each of those patient identities.”
On October 28, 2024, the Inaugural Meeting and Academic Forum of the Medical Alliance for Functional Neurological Disorder was successfully held in Shanghai, China. The meeting was sponsored by the Medical Alliance for Functional Neurological Disorder, hosted by the Department of Neurology at Renji Hospital, organized by the Journal of Neurology and Neurorehabilitation, and initiated by the Functional Neurological Disorders China registry research team (FND-China). This event represents a significant milestone in developing the diagnosis and treatment of FND in China.
In the academic forum, the attending experts and scholars comprehensively demonstrated the research field of FND through various forms. Prof. Gang Wang gave a detailed introduction to the ongoing FMD-China registry study, shared the latest progress and results of the research, and detailed its future direction. Prof. Han Wang of Peking Union Medical College Hospital gave a vivid explanation and case on functional speech disorders, which provided participants with valuable clinical experience and inspiration. Prof. Beilei Feng of Shanghai Integrated Hospital of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine introduced the records of FND cases in Chinese ancient books from a perspective of Chinese medicine identification, which provided new ideas for FND treatment.
The Movement Disorders Society of India (MDSI) held its 9th Annual National Conference February 28th to March 2nd. Hosted in the historied city of Varanasi, the meeting’s theme this year was “Movement Disorders: Phenomenology to Technology.”
ANPA is also home to an active FND Special Interest Group, co-chaired by Dr. Caitlin Adams and Dr. Chadrick Lane. The FND SIG will meet on Wednesday, March 12th, Noon-1:00PM in the St. Jacques room on the 3rd floor of LeWestin during the annual meeting. Those interested in joining are encouraged to come by, sign-up on our listserv, and learn about opportunities to collaborate!
Jon Stone is Professor of Neurology at the University of Edinburgh. Prof. Stone and his colleague, Prof. Alan Carson, have championed a transparent, pragmatic, and multidisciplinary approach to Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), helping to address what had long been a neglected and stigmatized condition.
Laura Crucianelli, PhD is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in the Department of Biological & Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, where she coordinates the module on Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. Previously, she was a Research Fellow at the Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet (Stockholm, Sweden) funded by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie European Fellowship, and a Research Fellow at University College London. She completed her PhD at the University of Hertfordshire and University College London. Her background is in neuropsychology, experimental psychology, and cognitive and affective neuroscience. Her projects investigate affective touch and temperature perception, interoception, and sense of body ownership in healthy and clinical populations. She is also secretary of the European Society for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (ESCAN). She published several scientific articles and in 2020, her science communication essay, 'The need to touch,' was published in AEON. In 2022, she participated in the TEDxLakeComo event with a talk titled "The language of touch."|
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