One of the most common brain disorders is one of the most misunderstood – how functional neurological disorder is both ‘all in your head’ and beyond it

Millions of people suffer from debilitating symptoms their doctors don’t quite believe. But advances in neuroscience and education may be changing the tides for treatment.

By: Mackenzi Moore, University of Colorado Anschutz, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: August 14, 2026

Words: 1,401

Last Updated: 3 days, 11 hours ago

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By Mackenzi Moore, University of Colorado Anschutz

“It’s all in your head.”

By the time many people with functional neurological disorder arrive in our clinic, they have heard these five words more times than they can count. They are told their brain scan was normal. Their electroencephalogram, a test that measures the brain’s electrical activity, is reassuring. “The good news is you don’t have epilepsy,” they’re told.

No test can explain why they …

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