UNMASKING THE MIND: NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILES AND EMOTIONAL REGULATION IN FUNCTIONAL NEUROLOGICAL DISORDER AND EPILEPSY

Purpose: The current study aimed to investigate the neuropsychological profiles and emotional regulation strategies employed by individuals with functional neurological disorder (FND) and epilepsy. Method: Using correlational research design, purposive sampling strategy was used and the sample comprised of (N=220). A neuropsychological battery Pakistani named Neuropsychological Test Assessment Battery (PANTAB: Fatima & Zubair, in process) and Emotional Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ: Gross & John, 2003) was used. Findings: T test analysis revealed individuals with FND scored higher on PANTAB subscales as compared to those with epilepsy, suggest higher neuropsychological functioning. Findings revealed significant correlations between PANTAB subscales and emotional regulation subscales. Overall, orientation, executive functioning, memory and attention & concentration showed a positive correlation with cognitive reappraisal, while language and visuo-spatial & perceptual abilities showed nonsignificant relationship with cognitive reappraisal. Furthermore, analysis revealed that individuals with epilepsy scored more on cognitive reappraisal meanwhile, individuals with FND exhibited greater tendency towards emotional suppression. Research Limitations/Implications: Due to time constraints, a cross-sectional study was conducted, neglecting the importance of a longitudinal study, which could have provided a more in-depth understanding of the phenomenon. Future prospective studies could offer a more enriched comparison between the studied populations, especially if an experimental study with therapeutic interventions were to be conducted. Despite the shortcoming the current research fill the gap in the Pakistani literature regarding the neuropsychological profiling of individuals with FND and epilepsy. Originality/Value: This article adds to the expanding body of research into the topic of neuropsychological profiling and emotional regulation in individuals with epilepsy and functional neurological disorder.