Episode Details

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Today, I get to have a conversation with clinical neuropsychologist Dr. Alison Buchholz to explore the complex, rapidly evolving landscape of Functional Neurological Disorder. We discuss the critical historical context of FND, moving past outdated psychoanalytic models and confronting the problematic dualism that traditionally separates neurology from psychiatry in brain science. Dr. Buchholz shares clinical insights into identifying the positive diagnostic signs of FND subtypes, navigating the nuances of performance validity testing, and understanding why comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations are so vital. We also delve into practical strategies for delivering therapeutic feedback to patients, implementing multidisciplinary reprogramming treatments, and building robust, collaborative care pathways across various clinical settings.

Key Moments

• 02:29: The historical evolution of Functional Neurological Disorder and legacy of clinical misunderstandings
• 05:40: Deconstructing the false dichotomy between neurological and psychiatric frameworks in brain science
• 12:17: Categorizing the main clinical presentations of FND and navigating symptom heterogeneity
• 13:32: Evaluating diagnostic criteria discrepancies between the DSM-5-TR and ICD-11
• 16:55: Differentiating Functional Neurological Disorder from malingering and factitious disorders
• 21:31: Advanced neuroimaging insights and altered neural network connectivity hubs in the brain
• 24:47: Identifying positive clinical signs across functional seizure, movement, and cognitive subtypes
• 41:11: Navigating performance validity testing failures and internal inconsistency during evaluations
• 54:32: Implementing multidisciplinary reprogramming therapies and evidence-based neurobehavioral protocols
• 01:03:05: Strategies for program building, care pathways, and accessing professional training resources

Cool Things Mentioned

• Craft: the premier membership community for testing psychologists
• Crafted Practice: the only in-person business retreat for testing psychologists
• Reverb: the premier AI-powered report-writing platform for testing psychologists
• Functional Neurological Disorder Society: www.fndsociety.org 
• FND Hope Patient and Caregiver Resources: https://fndhope.org/resources/
• American Academy of Neurology Functional Seizure Management Guidelines: www.aan.com
• Taking Control of Your Seizures Workbook: Buy here
• American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology: www.theaacn.org 

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