Dissemin is shutting down on January 1st, 2025

Published in

Wiley, Movement Disorders, 7(29), p. 849-852, 2013

DOI: 10.1002/mds.25562

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From Psychogenic Movement Disorder to Functional Movement Disorder: It's Time to Change the Name

Journal article published in 2013 by Mark J. Edwards ORCID, Jon Stone, Anthony E. Lang
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Postprint: archiving forbidden
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Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

Successive attempts at rebranding may be behind at least some of the proliferation of terms we have at our disposal when describing patients with what are now most often referred to as "psychogenic," "conversion," or "somatoform" symptoms. The most popular term in the movement disorder literature, "psychogenic," provides the aetiology of the disorder within the name, indicating that the symptoms are "born of the mind." Here we argue that it is logical to stop using a term that defines the disorder with regard to a poorly defined aetiology that is not supported by current evidence, and, instead, to use a broad term-functional-not as a "polite eponym" but as a term that is freer from such assumptions and does not reinforce dualistic thinking. The main argument for change is not political or even practical, but scientific. © 2013 Movement Disorder Society.