Functional Neurological Disorder Affects Thousands in Scotland as Patients Fight Stigma
Functional neurological disorder (FND) impacts an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 people across Scotland, though those living with the condition believe the true scale remains higher due to the challenges of diagnosis. In a report published by STV News, patients across the country describe years of uncertainty, misdiagnoses, and social stigma while dealing with a condition that alters how the brain sends and receives signals.
Unlike conditions involving structural damage to the brain, FND disrupts normal bodily functioning without physical damage to the brain’s structure. Patients frequently experience debilitating tremors, muscle spasms, mobility challenges, and non-epileptic seizures. Despite the physiological reality of these episodes—which can leave individuals temporarily unable to speak or move their limbs—those affected report facing skepticism from the public and being accused of faking their symptoms.
Patients Detail Years of Misdiagnosis and Daily Struggles
Pamela Carmichael, a Scottish resident featured in the STV News report, spent four or five years searching for answers after she first noticed her symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially experiencing frequent trips and falls, she was told doctors suspected motor neurone disease (MND) before her diagnosis was later changed to FND.
“I take seizures, involuntary movements and tics, which are very stressful because you don’t know what’s coming out of your mouth at times,” Carmichael told STV News. Because her seizures are non-epileptic, she manages them without treatment, relying on her husband to assist her when her hands and feet turn in and leave her temporarily mute. To cope with the psychological weight of the condition, she uses humor on social media platform TikTok and at home.
Similarly, Kelli Meikle, a mother-of-three and former business professional who re-trained in law, experienced a sudden onset of back pain and left-sided numbness that stripped away her ability to walk and speak. After visiting hospital emergency departments, she was told by a neurologist that she likely had motor neurone disease while awaiting further treatment. The diagnostic uncertainty forced her to abandon an active lifestyle that once included running marathons and climbing Munros.
Medical Professionals Point to New Pathways and Rehabilitation
Jon Stone, an NHS consultant neurologist and honorary professor of neurology who has focused on FND since the late 1990s, told STV News that clinical understanding and treatment options have advanced significantly.
“Through various forms of rehabilitation therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and psychological therapy, we’re finding ways to retrain the brain so it works better,” Professor Stone said. He noted that clinical trials are vital for demonstrating the efficacy of therapies designed to help patients manage a condition that is hard to improve from.
The Scottish Government responded to the growing calls for support by pointing to the Neurological Care and Support Framework 2020-25, which allocated £148,863 to projects designed to improve information and support available to people with FND in Scotland. The Centre for Sustainable Delivery published a national pathway for FND in 2024 to help healthcare staff diagnose and manage the condition more effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions About Functional Neurological Disorder
*
What causes functional neurological disorder?
FND is caused by a problem in how the brain sends and receives signals to the rest of the body, rather than physical damage or structural damage to the brain.
*
How is FND diagnosed by clinicians?
Standard brain scans and other tests typically show no physical damage, but a national pathway published in 2024 aims to support clinical staff to more effectively diagnose and manage FND.
*
What treatments are available for patients in Scotland?
Treatment focuses on rehabilitation, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and psychological therapies aimed at helping patients retrain the brain so it works better. The Centre for Sustainable Delivery introduced a national pathway in 2024 to provide better access to evidence-based treatment.
Keep reading