Inconsistency and incongruence: the two diagnostic pillars of functional movement disorder

Congratulations to Drs. Christopher Hess and Michael Okun on the publication of “Inconsistency and incongruence: the two diagnostic pillars of functional movement disorder,” in the July 23rd issue of The Lancet.

A 67-year-old woman, who had a 4-month history of a sudden onset of intermittent jerking movements with contortions of her head and right arm, attended our specialist unit. She had been seen earlier at another hospital where neuroimaging and electroencephalography were reported as normal. And after the patient was told the diagnosis was probably “psychogenic spells”, she sought a further consultation.
She had no notable medical history; she was previously fit and well.