Interoceptive disturbances in patients with functional movement disorders

Abstract. Functional movement disorders (FMD) are frequently encountered in the clinical practice of a neurologist. They are on the border of neurology and psychiatry, but the pathogenesis of the disease is still an open question. One of the causes of FMD development is considered to be interoception disorder. Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate interoceptive awareness in patients with FMD and its relationship with the severity of motor, affective, and other somatic disorders and quality of life. Material and methods. The study included 34 patients with FMD and 31 healthy volunteers, in whom interoceptive awareness was assessed using the MAIA-R scale, quality of life (SF-36), concomitant somatic symptoms (PHQ-15), and affective symptoms (HADS). The severity of FMD was assessed using the PMDRS scale. Results. The findings revealed that patients with FMD exhibit less trust in the sensations of their own bodies and tend to focus primarily on discomfort sensations. Patients with FMD also showed greater expression of concomitant somatic symptoms, anxiety, and depression. Quality of life was reduced due to the physical component of health. Conclusion . Interoceptive awareness is related to patients’ emotional characteristics and is not associated with the severity of motor impairment. The results demonstrate changes in the processing of an interoceptive information.