CE203: Functional Neurologic Disorder: Contemporary Neuroscience and Evidence-Based Physical Therapy Management

Functional neurologic disorder (FND) is one of the most common conditions encountered in neurology and rehabilitation, yet it remains widely misunderstood. Advances in neuroscience have shifted FND from a diagnosis of exclusion to a disorder of altered brain network functioning involving movement, sensation, attention, emotion, and self-agency. Physical therapists play a key role in recognizing positive diagnostic signs, providing effective patient education, and delivering evidence-based rehabilitation.

This asynchronous course provides rehabilitation professionals with an overview of the history, epidemiology, diagnosis, and contemporary neuroscience of FND. Participants will explore concepts including predictive processing, self-agency, interoception, attention, and emotional processing, and learn how these mechanisms contribute to symptom development. The course also reviews evidence-based principles for physical therapy examination, patient communication, movement retraining, and clinical management, equipping participants with practical strategies to improve outcomes for individuals with functional motor symptoms.

Date & Time

Asynchronous

CEHs

2

Cost

$100 Clinician/$20 Student/Resident

Course Objectives

By the end of this module, participants will be able to:

  • Describe the history, epidemiology, diagnostic criteria, and clinical presentation of functional neurologic disorder
  • Explain current theories of FND pathophysiology, including predictive processing, self-agency, attention, interoception, and emotional processing
  • Recognize positive clinical features and examination findings that support a rule-in diagnosis of FND
  • Discuss evidence-based principles for physical therapy assessment, patient education, and rehabilitation of individuals with FND
  • Apply current evidence to clinical decision-making when managing patients with functional motor symptoms

Instructor 

Wendy RomneyWendy Romney, PT, DPT, Ph.D., NCS

Wendy Romney, PT, DPT, Ph.D., NCS is an associate professor and the associate dean for interprofessional education at Sacred Heart University, teaching courses on physical therapy examination including use of outcome measures and treatment of patients with neurological disease and dysfunction and medically complex issues. Dr. Romney earned her Ph.D. from Rutgers University in health science with a focus on knowledge translation and her research is focused on improving the use of outcome measures in PT practice. She is a Board-Certified Specialist in Neurological Physical Therapy and continues to practice at Gaylord Specialty HealthCare, Wallingford, CT treating patients with neurologic disease and medically complex issues. She is a member the guideline development group on the Core Set of Outcome Measures CPG for the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy and was the immediate past the Director of Practice for the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy, a member of the SCI EDGE workgroup.