The FND Society Podcast
Welcome to the FND Society Podcast, a series tailored for clinicians and researchers in the field of Functional Neurologic Disorders.
The podcast covers a wide range of topics, from basic science aspects like neuroimaging and biomarkers to clinical practice issues such as diagnosis, treatments, and outcomes. It also explores how FND is understood and treated within the current medical and psychological paradigms, with a goal to enhance knowledge and awareness across the medical community.
Our goal is to make this a valuable and accessible resource for professionals, delivering the latest research in FND through engaging conversations with experts in the field. We aim for this series to be a practical and informative experience, connecting listeners directly with groundbreaking developments and insights in FND. It's our hope that each episode will contribute meaningfully to your professional knowledge and understanding.
For more information about the FND Society visit: www.fndsociety.org
The FND Society Podcast
FNDS Educational Opportunities
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This brief conversation introduces some of the educational opportunities within FNDS, namely highlighting the virtual educational course – FND: Rehabilitation 101 put together by Glenn Nielsen and Sarah Lidstone – which is coming out by the end of March, and the Hybrid Functional Seizures and Epilepsy Course which is occurring June 13th – 14th in Boston, co-chaired by Mahinda Yogarajah, and Barbara Dworetzky.
We invite providers to participate in a brief survey examining driving recommendations for patients with functional seizures. Developed by a dedicated study group, this survey seeks to capture the current opinions of physicians worldwide on this topic. Please take a moment to share your expertise: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8065625/functional-dissociative-seizures-and-driving
Welcome to the Functional Neurologic Disorder Society podcast. I'm your host, Erica Cotton, coming to you from Chicago, Illinois, with a special thanks to Michael Romeo, our production engineer, coming to us from Australia, and our content curator, Ingrid Hertzauer, from the UK. This brief conversation introduces some of the educational opportunities within FNDS, namely highlighting the virtual education course, F ⁇ D Rehabilitation 101, put together by Glenn Nielsen and Sarah Lidstone, which is coming out by the end of March, and the hybrid functional seizure and epilepsy course, which is occurring over the weekend of June 13th and 14th in Boston, co-chaired with Mahinda Yogaraja and Barbara Doritzky. Of note, I believe I misspoke during this early morning recording session. This summer course is only occurring June 13th and 14th. A neuropsychology conference I'm attending, AACN, which is amazingly hosting my neuropsychology colleagues at me for three hours worth of talks on FD, is occurring at the same time from June 11th to the 14th in Chicago. I hope you all enjoy my conversation with these excellent FD clinicians and educators. Well, I'm so thrilled for our brief episode today, which is more of an educational episode and a highlights episode of some upcoming awesome educational content and opportunities for our listeners. If our listeners really enjoy the podcast, I'm sure they would enjoy these educational courses even more. Think of it as a podcast in extended hours format with many, many more speakers. And I'd like to highlight and thank the people present today who are going to talk about these courses that they put so much time and effort and energy into, unpaid entirely, but you deserve all the credit. So we have Glenn Nielsen, who's a physiotherapist at St. George's in London, and he's the co-creator and organizer of the FND Rehab 101 course that we're going to be highlighting and talking about today, along with Sarah Lindstone, who is a neurologist at the University of Toronto and also co-chair of the FNDS Education Committee. Really looking forward to working closely with the FNDS Education Committee in terms of propagating content and educational material. So that's excellent. Glad to have you on our podcast series and hopefully continuing to use websites and social media to get that content out to our listeners. And then last but not least, we have Mahende Yogaraja, who's a neurologist and epileptologist at Queen's Square Institute of Neurology in London. Mahinda is also the co-chair of the Epileptic Seizure and Functional Seizure Course, which is the second part we're going to be highlighting today. And he is the co-chair of the course along with FNDS president Barbara Dwortsky, who's a neurologist at Harvard Brigham and Women's Hospital. So without further ado, I'm really grateful for everyone to be here today. And with that, let's kind of jump into the content here and highlight some of these great learning opportunities. So, first things first, we have our virtual rehabilitation course that is going to be available this month, March 2025. And I'm gonna let Glenn and Sarah talk about just the format to start. What's the format of the course? What can our listeners expect?
unknownGreat.
SPEAKER_02Thanks so much, Erica. Shall I start, Sarah?
SPEAKER_00Yes, go ahead, Glenn.
SPEAKER_02Okay, so we've created a course uh which is composed of 20 lectures that are arranged in seven modules. They're bite-sized lectures, so uh people can dip in and out of them in between their busy clinical load. And the the target audience for this course is really allied health professionals. So we're we're specifically thinking about physiotherapists or physical therapists, speech and language therapists or speech pathologists, occupational therapists, social workers, and nurses. But also we think that physicians who are interested in F and D may also be interested in this course and it will have something to offer them. And what would you add, Sarah?
SPEAKER_00Oh, I just think it's it's a wonderful uh amount of content that we've put together by these experts around the world who do this every day. And we really wanted people to have a place where they can turn to and get reliable practical information about how to work with patients who have FND. I think we all know, those of us who work in this area, that there's a massive gap in the expertise available for patients in the community, even from expert providers who already are maybe a neurophysiotherapist. But this is not taught as part of training programs for any of these different LITEL specialties. And so there's a real gap among this knowledge that's available. So we really wanted to address that in a way that's practical, useful, and helpful for people as we put this together.
SPEAKER_01That's wonderful. So you've started to cover intended audience as well. Um, let's talk about the cost of this course, which I think is quite reasonable, um, an amazing opportunity. So it can correct me if I'm wrong, but it it seems as though the cost is quite minimal for members. Um, so we have um 185 for non-members. That's the most expensive option. Um, but our membership is actually only $150. So it would be a little silly for individuals to uh register for the course but not become a member because if they become a member, then the cost is only $10 for members. I'm correct, right? An amazing membership perk that is such a huge access to content. And then we have uh only $10 for trainee. Oh no, it's free for trainee members, correct? Completely free for trainee members. That's amazing. Okay, so that's a lot of that's a very low cost for a lot of content. I think Glenn, when we were chatting about this, you were telling me the amount of content that's present.
SPEAKER_02You said there were how many videos, modules, and yeah, well, so there's 20 uh videos that really cover the patient's journey from being referred in, assessment, discharge, um, and how to real how to do it type videos from from the experts around the world who do it every day. All up it's 20 hours of content. No, it's six hours of content, sorry, in 20 uh different lectures.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so six hours of content, 20 different lectures, which is amazing, right? By by the experts within our field who have generously again recorded and offered this training material, which is wonderful. Um and then lastly, to highlight some of the other pieces. Um, I know Sarah, you had mentioned um incorporating certain perspectives, patient perspectives, as well as an interdisciplinary, interdisciplinary model and sort of how to for certain elements that are often said that we should do it, but we're often not doing it. Do you want to highlight some of those pieces?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, we felt Glenn and I both sat down and scratched our heads and tried to figure out what is, you know, because it is it is a 101 course. And also just to mention that this is in line with the two other 101 level courses that already have been produced by the FND Education Committee and the FNDS. One is covering physician skills called putting principles into practice available online, and the other is psychological treatment. So this is the third in that series on rehabilitation. And Glenn and I, you know, want to put together a program that was quite compelling but also very practical and addressing the stuff that we get asked all the time. And one of the, I think, most important low-lying fruit there is how to combine different skill sets across rehab disciplines in a way that's really helpful for patients with FND. And I think I would argue also other types of conditions as well in rehab. And so it's really the how-tos about how to combine, let's say, some anti-anxiety techniques or what happens when the patient has some dysregulation or when the patient might be dissociating in a therapy visit. How do you manage that? So we also cover the skills around how to recognize some of those symptoms in the room, but also the safety around that as well, which I know a lot of therapists are can are concerned about. You know, what happens if a patient might express some suicidal ideation in therapy? What do I do? Right. So we actually have Mike Dilley talking about um skills around how to navigate those to kind of more tender spots in therapy that people are less comfortable with.
SPEAKER_01That's an amazing content training opportunity that is, I don't feel as though there are generally our our general talks don't quite go into that level of detail or that level of nuance, you know, at conferences or other recordings that we've had. So I think this is an excellent opportunity. Mike Dilly's amazing just in his conceptualization and approach to patient care. Um really, really enjoyed getting to chat with him a little bit at uh the conference last year.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's it's it's wonderful. And then I think just to add the final section is we really is we engage our patients. So people who have lived experience of having FND, who've gone through therapy and gone through rehab and have gotten better and are talking about their experience, what helped, what was useful for them. And that patient perspective is so crucial in all of this work, um, and having an ally in the patient and that strong therapeutic relationship. And so I think it's a lot of learning to have to occur on the side of the patient as well.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's such a wonderful um opportunity to highlight for providers that we're not losing track of who we're treating, right? Um, who we are attempting to help and serve. Um and I think hearing those patient perspectives about what matters and what helps is really key. In addition to what doesn't help, sometimes losing that feedback too of this, this doesn't work. Please, please don't treat us this way. We don't like to be treated this way, um, is just so key and having that stakeholder feedback is so so wonderful. Um, excellent. Well, I can't thank you both enough for the work you put into this this course and these educational materials. I think it it's really in line with the FNDS overall mission of generating educational content, really propagating that content, making it accessible, um, high quality content. And I can't think of higher quality content than the course list that you guys have put together. Um, and again, with such care and dedication and thoughtfulness. Um, so it's a really, really great high, high, high quality resource for all the listeners here and anyone who registers for the course. I'm really looking forward to taking it personally. I can't wait. Um, I think it'll be great. I'm just gonna put it on on a probably a Saturday and do my do my things and wash dishes and do laundry while listening to some of these great courses. I think that'll be great. Um wonderful. Well, last but not least, um, we have Mahinda Yogaraja uh to talk about the epileptic seizure and functional seizure course that's happening this June, June 11th to the 14th. Dates that I'm upset about because I will personally be not able to attend given it conflicts with a neuropsychology conference that I have to speak at. But I'm gonna try and make both. Um, but I'd love to highlight this course just because it sounds so incredibly amazing. Um, and the work you, Mahinda and Barbara, have done to put together an awesome course. So why don't you tell our listeners a little bit about the format, what they can expect, um, and then we can move into also who it's intended for.
SPEAKER_03Yep, thank you, Erica. Um, thank you, Glenn and Sarah. You've definitely got me signed up to your course for sure. Um, so just in terms of the date, so it's June the 13th and 14th. So this is uh a hybrid course. Um, so there'll be the opportunity to attend in person in Boston. At the same time, the course will be available remotely via recordings, both at the time and after the course. So it's a hybrid course, June 13th, 14th. Um yeah, and it's aimed really at all healthcare professionals managing seizures. So it's not necessarily just those with an interest in FND, because you know, functional seizures are very common in general neurology and epilepsy clinics, yet most people feel you know underprepared to diagnose and manage these seizures. So what we're trying to do with this course is bring together experts from both the epilepsy world, the FND world, but also neuropsychiatry and neuropsychology world. And the aim is by bringing these experts together, we can provide the kinds of practical tools that will help individuals diagnose, um, refine the use of tools such as EEG, and most importantly, perhaps of all, manage patients with functional seizures within whatever service they're seeing these patients. So it's really the aim is to try and engage a kind of broader seizure community, if you like. So those individuals seeing seizures, whether that's individuals in an FND service, because we know that many within the FND world also feel underequipped to manage these patients, but also within the epilepsy world as well.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's wonderful. And I'm gonna tap Sarah one more time. Sarah, prior to had shared um an interesting anecdote from uh our meeting in Verona that we briefly collected some data. Sarah, do you want to share what what you were talking, we were chatting about just before we started?
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah, sure. It was it's that we're we're actually pulling together a manuscript about this because we were able to collect some participant feedback when they registered for our biannual congress in Verona this past summer. And functional seizures, the diagnosis and management was identified as one of the top three weak spots in terms of practice gaps of people. They don't feel comfortable identifying them, managing them, what do they do? And so this this course is going to be fantastic because it really is gonna address this this unmet need in the education, both in neurology and psychiatry. So it's it's it's really, really necessary.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_01Thanks, Sarah. That and such an awesome um initiative to elicit that feedback at the startup of that conference um and use that to generate and guide what we're what we're putting content out and where we're offering trainings, which is amazing. Um, Mahinda, one of the things I really loved about how you're describing the course and the course content, and something I'm I'm again shouldn't be surprised about, but thrilled about is the level of detail, right? To think about, okay, what are what about EEGs, right? And how it's more of a hands-on how-to, which again, I feel like is such an amazing direction to take a lot of these training content for a condition that doesn't have another organization, or it's not part of, I think, you know, for a lot of FND, at least in the US, FND education is not really part of the medical training. So people really get kind of minimal, minimal training. And so these rather than the organizations being, you know, oh, you have the basics, now let's talk about some advanced things or some nuance, it's really, I think our our society's acting as the education, right? This is this is the education that people might get, um, unless they're under a very, you know, specialized FND uh focused provider who has the time and resources to provide very high quality, in-depth training. But I think our especially in the US, our general educational models like glances over FNDS, possibly it gets mentioned unless they happen to rotate with an FNDS or an FND specialty provider, it's it's pretty minimal. Um, so I think our organization is really filling an important gap of actually offering quality training in a way that our current educational models, at least here in the US, maybe the UK is better, um, and Canada is better in terms of training. But that's such an important gap. And I think it's wonderful that you're offering that level of detail.
SPEAKER_03I think, I mean, yeah, that's a very good point you raise, Erica. I mean, one thing I'd emphasize with the course is yes, I mean, there is the way we're delivering the course, is there are didactic lectures, yes, then there are those present on things like mechanisms and your imaging, but the course is also very much intended to be practical. So there are several panel and video sessions where there's an opportunity for audience members to interact with experts and ask those questions around well, how do you go about at a practical level integrating your EEG findings, your imaging findings with your history and your seizure semiology? How do you go about sort of starting off with sort of basic class line management in, you know, perhaps you're starting off in a neurology clinic? How does that then change when the patient perhaps is with a neuropsychologist or a neuropsychiatrist? And also, how does management change with pediatric patients? So we have some pediatric-based talks as well, and also we're also cognizant of the fact that patients with functional seizures will often encounter, for example, EV physicians who are an accident in an emergency department. Again, how does the management and diagnosis vary in these different settings? So, yeah, absolutely. The course is intended to inform and educate, but also provide practical advice and tools to help all individuals, all healthcare professionals seeing these patients, regardless of the setting.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, which it's it's such an awesome um sort of breadth and scope and care and thought gone into planning um each of these content modules and the speaker list and areas that just need to be learned and explored and put out there. Um so it's a really great balance. Again, I'm really hoping I can come attend part of it. I'm I'm determined to try and be in two places at once. Um, just so sad if I can't. Um lastly, the cost of this. Um, so correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe for early registration, which is now through April 23rd, um, and then regular registration April 24th up to June 5th. Um, early registration is 335 for a non-member. And again, that is significantly more than our membership. Um so it would be wiser to um have our members purchase our membership uh annually for $150 for our annual membership for medical professionals and medical doctors versus $75 for allied health professionals, $50 for trainees, but the first year for trainees is free. Um so for members, it's only $170, which again, given an in-person multiple-day intensive training or $170 is just quite an amazing value for the for the content that's offered. Um, allied health professionals, it's $85. Um, and that's the same for in-person versus virtual. And then for trainees, um, in person, it's only $50, but it's free for virtual trainee members, which is just such an amazing um opportunity for getting this content and information. And then similarly, the content will be recorded and be available as well. Um, is there anything else I'm missing in terms of costs that you'd like to highlight?
SPEAKER_03No, I think I think you've highlighted it really well, Erica. I mean, I think the take-home message is everyone who's thinking about attending should become a member. And then you've got this little this amazing content that Sarah's already talked about that's there on the website and it's accessible and available at very reasonable prices. So I think you know, the take-home message, as far as I'm concerned, would be become a member and come to the courses.
SPEAKER_01Yes, for for very, very reasonable access. I really appreciate that our that the society is approaching us. If you are a member, there is lots of access to these great resources. Um, lastly, um any highlights, any last highlights about um the epileptic seizure and functional seizure course that you'd like to highlight, Mahinda?
SPEAKER_03I mean, I think I guess the thing I'd probably highlight in addition to the things we've already talked about is we have got a really varied um uh lineup of speakers, all experts, but experts not only from the world of FND, also experts from the world of epilepsy, um who, you know, will as I said, will see these patients in their epilepsy service. So yeah, I think join up, sign up, yeah, come. Uh learn. Hopefully people get something useful. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Right. Learn from the greats, right? Learn learn from the learn from the experts here. Um yeah.
SPEAKER_03Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01Again, I am determined to be in two places at once. I just really don't want to miss it. Um, wonderful. Well, I can't thank each of you enough for putting your time and energy into creating such wonderful content, such thoughtful content, um and content that truly helps advance our mission of creating good training opportunities and expanding knowledge and access, ultimately to improve patient care and knowledge about FND throughout the international community. And it's just such great work that's unpaid but highly appreciated. No one, just full disclosure, everyone, no one on the FNDS gets paid, apart from our administrators that we use our dues to pay them to uh help keep us organized. Um, but all volunteer work and such an amazing contribution to the field. And I'm just so looking forward to these courses and personally taking them. I think it's gonna be great. And I want to thank everyone again for taking the time to chat about it too, in addition to all the extra work of putting it together. So thanks. Thank you, Erica.
SPEAKER_03Thank you.
SPEAKER_02Thanks, Erica. Thanks.
SPEAKER_01Physicians and providers treating functional seizures, we invite you to participate in a brief survey examining driving recommendations for patients with functional seizures. Developed by a dedicated study group, this survey seeks to capture the current opinions of physicians worldwide on this topic. Please take a moment to share your experience. A link to the five minute survey can be found in the show notes.
