What happened?
A 44-year-old man with complex medical history was admitted for acute inpatient rehabilitation with symptoms considered suggestive of functional neurological disorder. The authors describe an interdisciplinary programme addressing physical function, cognition, communication and psychological factors; a definitive specialist diagnosis was not confirmed during the reported admission.
Clinical findings
- Right-sided weakness and impaired task performance affected activities of daily living.
- Balance was poor and the patient required assistance for transfers and walking at admission.
- Cognitive-communication difficulties, anxiety and uncertainty about the diagnosis were also documented.
Rehabilitation described in the report
- Daily physical and occupational therapy used structured functional tasks, graded task progression, cueing, feedback and education.
- The wider team included speech-language therapy, medical and nursing staff, social work and psychology input; psychobehavioral strategies were incorporated into task practice.
Reported outcomes
- After eight days of inpatient rehabilitation, the patient achieved independence in transfers and several walking tasks, progressing from a rolling walker to a cane.
- The authors reported improvements in activities of daily living, balance-related function and communication; follow-up after discharge was unavailable.
Clinical lessons to consider
- FND rehabilitation should be coordinated across disciplines and focus on meaningful function.
- Graded task practice, attention to movement execution, feedback and clear communication may support engagement.
- Do not assume an FND diagnosis without appropriate positive clinical features and specialist assessment.
Limitations — what this case cannot tell us
- The diagnosis remained uncertain during the acute admission and the patient was lost to follow-up.
- A single case with concurrent medical management cannot establish which rehabilitation or psychobehavioral components contributed to improvement.
Original source
YuanDian Zheng, Taesung Kim, Yoshiki Takeyama, Etienne B. Rossert, Yu Jen Lai. “Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation for Functional Neurological Disorder Using Psychobehavioral Approaches in an Acute Inpatient Setting: A Case Report.” SAGE Open Medical Case Reports, 2025. DOI: 10.1177/2050313X251348413
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