Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) and Medically Unexplained Symptoms

Join us for the West Midlands Division Spring Conference. This online event will focus on exploring Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) and Medically Unexplained Symptoms.

Learning objectives: 

FND: Beyond Causal Agnosticism

Dr Biba Stanton and Dr Tim Segal

This joint talk between neurology and psychiatry will discuss the basics of diagnosis of FND from a neurological perspective; the process of explaining the diagnosis; and the role of mental health support and treatment in their management: 

• The basics of diagnosis of FND and tips on explaining the diagnosis
• How psychiatric formulation can aid treatment
• Case examples to illustrate the above, and common FND ‘mimics’

Medically unexplained symptoms 

Dr Christopher Bass

• Problems with nomenclature
• Prevalence of functional complaints [and COPCs]
• What is Somatic Symptom Disorder [SSD] and how is it defined?
• Understand the vulnerability factors and why SSD is often recurrent and/or chronic
• Assessment of patients with unexplained symptoms
• Learn about management of SSD
• Brief note on factitious disorders

Dr Biba Stanton, Consultant Neurologist

Dr Stanton graduated from Newcastle University with honours and distinction in 2000. Her postgraduate training took place at the Maudsley Hospital, King’s College Hospital, the Royal Free Hospital and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery.

She has a PhD in psychology from King’s College London, having undertaken neuropsychology and functional imaging research into apathy in neurodegenerative disorders. She has a particular clinical interest in functional neurological disorder (FND) and complex somatic symptoms. She leads the FND service at King’s and works as part of the Maudsley Hospital neuropsychiatry team.

Dr Christopher Bass, Emeritus consultant in Liaisison Psychiatry

Dr Bass qualified from Cambridge University and St Thomas’ Hospital in London and gained psychiatric training from King’s College Hospital in London, where he was both lecturer and senior lecturer in psychological medicine until 1991. 

In 1991 he moved to the Department of Psychological Medicine at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, where he was a consultant in liaison psychiatry.

Between 1993 and 1997 he was Chairman of the Liaison Psychiatry Section at the Royal College of Psychiatrists,

He has  edited or co-edited five books since 1990.  Somatisation: Physical Symptoms and Psychological Illness, Blackwells, 1990; Treatment of Patients with Functional Somatic Symptoms (with Mayou R and Sharpe M), OUP 1995; Key Topics in Psychiatry, Bios, 1996; Hysterical Conversion: Clinical and Theoretical Perspectives (with Halligan P and Marshall J), OUP 2001; and Malingering and Illness Deception (with Halligan P and Oakley D) OUP, 2003.

His areas of special interest, experience and expertise include complex somatoform disorders; chronic fatigue; occupational stress and its causation;functional pain syndromes; functional neurological disorder;; factitious illness and factitious illness by proxy.

Dr Tim Segal, Consultant Neuropsychiatrist, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Dr Tim Segal is a Consultant Neuropsychiatrist and the clinical lead for neuropsychiatry at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. He has a keen interest in the treatment of Functional Neurological Disorder, and the benefits of patient and carer education in supporting this. He is also a module lead on the MSc in Clinical Neuropsychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London.

Programme:

The events team reserves the right to change the programme without prior notice.

This event is taking place online via Zoom. To take part you will need:

• access to a reliable internet connection
• a PC, laptop, tablet or phone
• Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge browser or Zoom installed on your PC, laptop, tablet or phone.

Please note: It is up to the participant to ensure that they have the correct requirements in place prior to booking the event.

Joining instructions for the event will be sent out the week of the event.

Please kindly note, all sessions will be recorded and the recording made available within two weeks of the event.

We would encourage those who register to attend on the day of the event, should they wish to ask questions to our speakers.

All recordings are sent out to delegates via email to the email address used at the time of registering. If you are unsure whether your email address is up to date, please update this via your membership account. 

Please read our terms and conditions before making your booking, which includes:

• Event Cancellation Policy
• Privacy Policy
• Code of Conduct

Event registrations are confirmed when payment is received in full.

Joining instructions are sent approximately one week in advance.

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