Date of Award
Summer 8-25-2023
Document Type
Open Access Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Medical Science (MMSc)
First Advisor
Benjamin Tolchin, MD, MS, FAAN
Abstract
Functional Neurological Disorder is a severely disabling and stigmatized condition in which motor or sensory neurological symptoms cannot be attributed to a known neurological condition and are considered to be psychological in nature. Cognitive behavioral therapy improves depression and neurological symptoms for some patients, but many do not respond to therapy, and treatment adherence is extremely low. Narrative therapy is a psychotherapeutic model based in reframing one’s life story, and it is associated with decreased self-stigma and improved treatment adherence and engagement, but it has not been studied in Functional Neurological Disorder. In this randomized controlled trial, we will compare health-related quality of life, self-stigma, and somatic outcomes among adults with Functional Neurological Disorder who receive cognitive behavioral therapy plus narrative therapy versus cognitive behavioral therapy alone. These results stand to provide new insights to guide multimodal therapeutic approaches in treating this challenging disorder.
Recommended Citation
Wilder, Amber, "Narrative Therapy and Quality of Life in Functional Neurological Disorder" (2023). Yale School of Medicine Physician Associate Program Theses. 193.
https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/ysmpa_theses/193
