Questioning FND. Challenging dogma. Putting patients first.
Welcome to FND Nope's official space. This is where we share updates, investigations, research, and reflections on Functional Neurological Disorder, with a particular focus on diagnostic practices, medical dogma, patient safety, and accountability. We question assumptions, challenge established narratives, and believe no diagnosis should be beyond scrutiny. You don't have to agree with us. In fact, we welcome opposing perspectives. What matters is evidence, open discussion, and the willingness to ask difficult questions.
Maddie Aumann was diagnosed with FND before genetic testing identified a rare SCN9A disorder. Her mother, Christine Aumann, describes how the FND label continued to affect Maddie’s care even after that discovery, ultimately helping inspire Maddie’s Law.
How do we know when a medical diagnosis has actually been demonstrated rather than simply defined? This post examines FND through ontology, epistemology and axiology, asking what positive signs really establish, where classification ends and explanation begins, and whether the confidence placed in the diagnosis matches the strength of the evidence behind it.
Dropsy was once treated as a disease until medicine discovered that it was merely a shared presentation of many underlying conditions. This article asks whether IBS and FND may represent similar umbrella categories that future medical advances will eventually divide into more precise diagnoses.
A patient diagnosed with FND recovered completely after surgical repair of a CSF leak. Why did the diagnosis remain? This article explores what the case reveals about comorbidity, diagnostic reasoning, and the falsification problem in FND.
Megan Dixon became severely disabled following childhood illness, with progressive loss of mobility and speech leading to prolonged hospitalisation. She was later reportedly diagnosed with FND and underwent extended rehabilitation after years of severe impairment.
A critical look at a case of postoperative paralysis labelled as FND, questioning whether pre-existing neurological instability and predictive processing may better explain the presentation than a purely functional diagnosis.
This post explores how DSM-5 criteria for FND expand diagnoses compared with DSM-4 Conversion Disorder, using a simulation to show the impact of positive signs, comorbidities, and Dr Allen Frances’ concerns about diagnostic inflation.
It is commonly understood that FND historically evolved from Conversion Disorder (CD), which in turn emerged from Hysteria.
B12 enables myelin production and nerve signalling; without it, nerves become damaged, causing neurological symptoms. As Dr J Stone acknowledges, testing for vitamin B12 levels should really be a routine part of a neurological investigation, something even a trainee should be aware of.
I developed and uploaded the first version of my wife's medical dashboard over the weekend, which highlights her medical history, such as blood tests, MRIS, etc.
When presented with a misdiagnosis rate for FND of just around 4%, it sounds impressive - who wouldn’t be tempted to jump on the bandwagon? Surely this means doctors have the disorder all figured out, backed by mountains of rock-solid, empirically proven evidence. Right? A disorder that is believed to live on the fringes of neurology and psychiatry - what could possibly go wrong?
A critical examination of Functional Neurological Disorder, its historical roots, diagnostic evolution, and whether the shift to a positive diagnosis risks closing the door on further investigation.