Co-occurring functional neurological disorder and autism: an exploratory study of comorbidities in a retrospective cohort study using TriNetX
This study presents the largest dataset to date characterising individuals with co-occurring FND and autism. Findings are consistent with previous findings of higher rates of autism in people with FND and reveal a potentially distinct clinical profile, marked by elevated rates of ADHD and psychiatric comorbidities, and increased occurrence of functional seizures compared to FND- or Autism-only groups. Recognising this overlap may improve diagnosis, clinical care, and understanding of mechanisms underlying the co-occurrence of FND and autism.
Authors
- Timothy R. Nicholson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2350-2332)
- Francesca Happé (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9226-4000)
- Mark John Edwards (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8283-9015)
- Lee D. Smythe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-9689-4806)
- Livia Asan
Institutions
- King's College London (GB)
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- Essen University Hospital (DE)
- University of Duisburg-Essen (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Neurology
- Published
- 2025-09-25
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-025-13385-6
- Citations
- 4
- Primary Topic
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 5.72