Functional Neurologic Disorders

Patients suffering from functional neurological disorders generally present with chronic illness resulting in significant disability and an extremely high cost of medical care, but in the absence of clear psychological/organic causes their symptoms can be very difficult to treat. This volume in the Handbook of Clinical Neurology series summarizes the state of the art findings on this class of psychiatric disorder, both to inform current practice and to point the direction for new research efforts. The volume offers an historical introduction, chapters on epidemiology and pathophysiolology, a large section on actual symptoms (ranging from psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, to movement disorders, to sensory and cognitive disorders), and concludes with approaches to therapy. This group of internationally acclaimed experts in neurology, psychiatry, and neuroscience represent a broad spectrum of areas of expertise, chosen for their ability to write clearly and concisely with an eye toward a clinical audience. This HCN volume sets a new standard for comprehensive, multi-authored works dealing with functional neurological disorders. * Offers a comprehensive approach to care of patients with neurofunctional symptoms, leading to more efficient prevention, management and treatment * Provides an interdisciplinary approach that can be applied in everyday clinic and research efforts * Fills an existing gap between traditional neurology and traditional psychiatry * Contents include coverage of history, epidemiology, symptoms and therapy * Edited work with chapters authored by leaders in the field around the globe - the broadest, most expert coverage available