International FND Awareness Day 2023: 4 to12 persons out of 100,000 are affected with the neurological disease

International Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) Awareness Day is observed every year on April 13. The aim of the week is to promote awareness, support affected individuals, and advance research for the prevention, treatment, and recovery of FND.

Functional Neurological Disorder or FND refers to a disorder that breaks down the communication between the brain and the body. There is a problem with how the nervous system functions, and it can happen even when both the brain and body are functioning correctly.

FND occurs in 4–12 people per 100,000. While it can affect children, the disease is more common among adolescents and adults.

Misdiagnosed Symptoms

It can also mimic other conditions, which is why many patients are misdiagnosed. With FND, the symptoms come from neither psychological or organic routes, but the pain still exists, hence why FND is not as widely known as diseases such as Parkinson’s Disease. Currently, the best treatment plans available are through physical therapy.

Patients experience a broad range of neurological symptoms, such as movement disorders and sensory issues. Essentially, there is a problem with the functioning of the nervous system in sending and/or receiving signals from the body.

These symptoms appear similar to those of disorders such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and epilepsy and can be equally debilitating and distressing.

Published on: Wednesday, April 12, 2023, 05:30 PM IST