Diagnosis and practical support for functional neurological disorder (FND), including functional/dissociative seizures.
Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a common condition in which the nervous system does not work as it should, even though its structure is intact. The symptoms are real, they are not imagined or put on, and they can improve with the right help.
Functional seizures (also called dissociative seizures) are episodes that can look like epileptic seizures but are not caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. They are one of the most common forms of FND. Because they resemble epilepsy, people are sometimes treated with anti-seizure medication for years before the diagnosis is made.
A neurologist makes the diagnosis from the features of the events themselves, and it is a positive diagnosis, not simply a matter of ruling other things out. Recording a typical event on video-EEG is the most reliable way to confirm it. Our home video-EEG service records events over 2 or 4 nights in your own home. Some people have both epilepsy and functional seizures, which is another reason a careful assessment matters.
Our Neuropsychologist and Clinical Psychologist has a special interest in FND and functional/dissociative seizures and works alongside our neurologists, so diagnosis and therapy are coordinated within one service. See also neuropsychology.
To claim a Medicare rebate you need a current referral from your GP (valid for 12 months) or another specialist (valid for 3 months). Your doctor can send the referral by Healthlink, fax, email or our online referral form. Out-of-pocket fees may apply. Please contact our rooms for current fee information.
Phone: 03 7066 4607
Fax: 03 7066 4605
Email: referrals@epilepsynetwork.com.au
Healthlink EDI: epilepsy
Online: referral form
We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation as the traditional custodians of this land. We pay respect to their Elders — past, present and emerging.
