Eye MOvement DesensItisation and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) for FunctIonal Neurological Disorder (FND)

Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is a problem with the functioning of the nervous system and how the brain and body send and receive signals, rather than due to neurological disease or injury. This causes a range of neurological symptoms such as seizures, shaking, weakness, and paralysis. The symptoms are associated with significant distress and disability. Treatment for FND in the United Kingdom is limited, and the evidence-base for treatment is poor, despite it being a common presentation. A psychological therapy called cognitive-behavioural therapy has been found to be beneficial, but it does not help everyone. EMDR is an effective treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder, but it can also be helpful with other conditions. There is a small amount of case study evidence that EMDR can be useful at treating FND, but proper scientific evaluation is needed. This research aims to evaluate the possibility of delivering, and potential benefit, of EMDR for FND. If the study shows that it is feasible and potentially beneficial, a larger trial will be designed. The study will recruit 50 participants who have specific functional neurological symptoms: weakness, walking difficulties, jerks, shaking, and/or seizures from a Neuropsychiatry Service. Participants will be allocated to EMDR, and routine medical appointments, or routine medical appointments alone. Allocation will be carried out by a computer programme. Those allocated to EMDR will be offered 8-16 weekly therapy sessions, completed within 6 months, and follow-up session 1 month after therapy has ended. Participants will be able to choose whether to attend therapy in-person or via an online video conferencing platform. Participants will complete questionnaires regarding health-related functioning, FND, mental health, and healthcare utilisation. These questionnaires will be completed at the beginning, 3 months, 6 months, and 9 months. Some participants will attend interviews about experiences of treatment.