By Martin Brink, Board-Certified in Neurotherapy and QEEG:
Let’s not beat around the bush: In Medicine the word “functional” is code for “psychological” or “made up” or “cuckoo”; and that’s how patients feel their doctor judges them before referring them to the next “specialist”.
“FND” is not a diagnosis, it’s a label for the “too-hard-basket”. Sadly, doctors are not trained in admitting gaps in their knowledge without humiliating their patients, hinting “the symptoms aren’t real”.
The question remains: Beyond seeing a Psychologist or being told to “reduce stress”, is there a potentially effective therapy for FND?
In order to look for a reasonable answer, it’s a good idea to examine the function of the affected organ: The Brain.
Based in Neuroscience, QEEG Brain Mapping can identify the dysfunctional patterns of FND in Brain activity.
Neurotherapy offers a drug-free pathway to real and lasting change; because FND is—without a doubt—a Functional Brain Disorder.
But what exactly does that mean?
Real client’s LoRETA loop: Red = faulty, excessive activity
All our Abilities, Behaviours and Experiences arise from the electrical activity in our Brains.
Electroencephalography (EEG) records electrical Brain activity from the scalp with very little fuss:
Quantitative EEG (QEEG) analyses the Brain’s electrical activity: Green = normal levels.
If our Brain’s electrical activity is out of order, it affects our Abilities, Behaviours and Experiences.
When Brain activity isn’t normal, it shows up in the EEG. See for yourself (psychiatric client):
QEEG maps: Yellow = a bit too much, Orange = clearly too much, Red = crazy too much activity.
Neuroscientific research with fMRI, EEG, and QEEG reveals that Functional Neurological Disorder is characterised by abnormal interactions between emotion-processing circuits (limbic system), motor control networks and the Prefrontal Cortex.
Understanding these electro-physiological signatures is crucial for targeted Neurotherapy with Neurofeedback to help restore normal Brain function by addressing the root cause of the neurological symptoms.
Below you’ll see some of the abnormal patterns that are common in FND Brains, according to research and clinical experience.
Emotional Overload: The Limbic Hijack
In general, the Amygdala in FND brains is hyperactive, hyperconnected and fails to calm down after emotional triggers. It stays “on alert,” flooding motor areas with electrical signals.
In FND, emotions directly influence motor symptoms. Patients report that Stress, Anxiety or other negative emotions trigger or worsen functional weakness, tremors or seizures.
Lost Sense of Agency
FND patients often say, “It happens to me—I’m not doing it.” That’s because their Brain’s “sense of control” network isn’t working properly.
The right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ), which compares intended actions to outcomes, is poorly connected to motor and frontal areas. Therefore movements feel involuntary, adding to feelings of helplessness.
Prefrontal Weakness
The Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) normally controls emotional impulses and movement planning. In FND Brains—like in PTSD, Complex PTSD and Headache Disorders—the PFC is often under-active and under-connected.
Many clients struggle with Executive Function—showing Impulsivity, Indecision, poor Planning, or emotional Volatility, as well as with initiating movements.
Cortical Hypervigilance
FND Brains often show elevated Beta (13–30 Hz), especially over motor and sensorimotor regions—suggesting a hypervigilant, “ready to fire” state.
This may explain how triggers—like stress, anxiety or other negative emotions—can unleash disproportionate motor responses, such as tremors, jerks, falls or seizures.
FND Treatment Neurofeedback - Selected Scientific References
