Clinical Reasoning
Posts exploring how clinicians interpret symptoms, evidence, uncertainty, and patient narratives when forming, questioning, or revising a diagnosis.
FND: New Name, Same Old Problems?
FND Nope
Moderator
FND is celebrated as an area of medical progress, but how much has actually changed? Historical research reveals continuity with hysteria and conversion disorder, while modern diagnostic uncertainty and limited treatment breakthroughs raise questions about whether institutional recognition has outpaced meaningful progress for patients.
From PNES and Suspected FND to C1 Paralysis: Amy Wang-Hiller's Story
Facebook Stories
Social media
Violinist Amy Wang-Hiller describes how suspected FND, a PNES diagnosis and repeated psychological attribution allegedly delayed recognition of tethered spinal cord, cervical instability and progressive paralysis.
FND Diagnostic Pitfalls: When Positive Signs Point Elsewhere
FND Nope
Moderator
A 2023 review by FND researchers acknowledges that Hoover's sign, distractibility, sensory abnormalities and other supposedly characteristic findings can occur in recognised neurological diseases. What does that mean for diagnostic certainty?
Two Years Diagnosed With FND Before Autoimmune and Genetic Findings Emerged
Reddit Stories
Social media
A Reddit user reports spending two years diagnosed with FND and anxiety before investigations reportedly identified autoimmune and genetic neurological conditions. Their experience raises questions about overlapping symptoms, diagnostic closure, and why complex presentations may be interpreted as functional.
False Positive Hoover's Sign in Apraxia: A Case of Corticobasal Syndrome
FND Nope
Moderator
A 2020 clinical case reports positive Hoover's and hip abductor signs in a woman diagnosed with corticobasal syndrome. The authors identify apraxia as an alternative explanation, exposing an important limitation in the diagnostic interpretation of signs associated with functional neurological disorder.
FND Diagnosis Reversed: Autoimmune Basal Ganglia Encephalitis
Reddit Stories
Social media
A patient diagnosed with FND reports that a second opinion revealed autoimmune basal ganglia encephalitis. Their account raises questions about incomplete investigations, overlooked neurological findings and whether an unexplained illness was prematurely labelled functional.
Pernicious Anaemia Mistaken for FND: Paralysis, Urinary Retention and a Missed Diagnosis
FND Nope
Moderator
A 29-year-old woman with progressive paralysis and severe urinary retention was discharged with suspected conversion disorder. Further investigation revealed vitamin B12 deficiency causing spinal cord damage. The case raises questions about diagnostic anchoring, negative imaging and premature closure.
AI Helped Diagnose a Rare Disease. Why the Warnings?
FND Nope
Moderator
After parents used ChatGPT to identify their daughter's rare genetic condition, a BBC report emphasised the dangers of AI-assisted diagnosis. But what happens when conventional medical care overlooks the possibilities that AI can help uncover?
Jo Puckett's FND Story in the Daily Mail: Questions Worth Asking
FND Nope
Moderator
A Daily Mail article about Jo Puckett's experience with FND raises questions about diagnostic certainty, psychological distress, medical dismissal and the difference between wanting answers and wanting to remain ill.
FND and Autism: Does Diagnostic Overlap Establish Comorbidity?
FND Nope
Moderator
A 2025 study found an association between FND and autism diagnoses. But historical diagnostic codes, unresolved differentials and the possibility of shared phenotypes raise questions about whether the findings establish genuine comorbidity.
