TY - JOUR T1 - Functional neurological disorders after COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 vaccines: a national multicentre observational study JF - Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry JO - J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry DO - 10.1136/jnnp-2022-330885 SP - jnnp-2022-330885 AU - Araceli Alonso-Canovas AU - Monica M Kurtis AU - Victor Gomez-Mayordomo AU - Daniel Macías-García AU - Álvaro Gutiérrez Viedma AU - Elisabet Mondragón Rezola AU - Javier Pagonabarraga AU - Lidia Aranzabal Orgaz AU - Jaime Masjuan AU - Juan Carlos Martinez-Castrillo AU - Isabel Pareés Y1 - 2023/03/08 UR - http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/early/2023/03/07/jnnp-2022-330885.abstract N2 - Functional neurological disorders (FNDs) are a common cause of neurology consultations.1 Dissociative seizures, motor and cognitive disorders are the main phenotypes. Diagnosis is made on positive terms: signs of inconsistency, incongruence and variability of physical signs with attention on clinical examination.1 Abnormal emotional processing and expectations are involved in the genesis and perpetuation of FND.1From the onset of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, world population has been affected by high levels of stress, uncertainty and misleading information, with a potential impact on mental health. Different studies have ascertained an increase of FND consultations (threefold in an emergency department).2 On the development of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, several cases of FND following vaccination were published, as well as an official warning from the Functional Neurological Society.3 Post-COVID-19 symptoms (known as Long-COVID-19) have also become a frequent reason for neurology consultation.4 Somatic symptom disorder may be common in these patients, and socioeconomic implications are vast.5Our experience is that a proportion of patients with FND describe an association with COVID-19 infection/vaccination. Here, we report a cohort of patients with FND for whom COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 vaccines were the main precipitant factors.We performed an observational retrospective analysis in eight tertiary university hospitals with special interest in FND. Electronic clinical records (March 2020–November 2022) were reviewed and FND which developed after COVID-19 disease (Co-FND) or SARS-CoV2 vaccines (Va-FND) were recorded. Diagnosis of FND was performed by an expert, based on clinical history and positive motor or sensory signs on examination. Hence, … ER -