Functional Neurological Disorder with Simone Mangelsdorf-Collett

Apr 13, 2025

Simone Mangelsdorf-Collett, a Senior Clinical Neuropsychologist specializing in Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), dives deep into the complexities of this often-misunderstood condition. She explains how FND differs from other neurological disorders like epilepsy and Parkinson's. The discussion highlights its historical context, the stigma surrounding women's health, and the links between FND and neurodivergence, especially among women. Simone also offers insights into treatment approaches and the importance of advocacy in reshaping perceptions of FND.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

FND: A Software Glitch

FND is a problem in nervous system functioning, like a software glitch.
Symptoms are real and disabling, affecting connections between brain cells and nerves.

INSIGHT

Real Symptoms, Functional Issues

FND involves real, measurable symptoms despite normal structural scans.
Positive diagnostic features exist, like Hoover's sign, indicating functional issues.

ANECDOTE

The History of Hysteria

Historically, FND symptoms, especially in women, were attributed to supernatural causes or "hysteria."
Freudian theory linked FND to repressed trauma, leading to the term "conversion disorder."

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

We’re super excited to bring you this week’s episode with Senior Clinical Neuropsychologist, Simone Mangelsdorf-Collett (she/her). We chat with Simone about Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) – or, as Simone puts it “the most common disorder you’ve never heard of”. Simone specialises in FND, neurodegenerative syndromes, and movement disorders, and practices out of Yarra City Psychology in Richmond, Melbourne. She is experienced in both ends of patient care, including assessment and diagnosis and rehabilitation and intervention.

If you’ve been wondering about FND, this episode is for you! We cover:

What is Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), and how does FND differ from other neurological disorders (like epilepsy, stroke, Parkinson’s etc.)
What does the term ‘functional’ mean, in this context?
The historical context of FND and how our understanding of this condition has evolved over time.
Some of the currently known mechanisms behind FND, including predictive coding theory.
Some common vulnerabilities and triggers for FND.
The overlap between FND, neurodivergence, and gender.
Simone takes us through treatment options for FND and who would be involved in the treatment team.
How Simone came to specialise in FND and her work in FND advocacy and education.

Things mentioned:

FND Australia
Support Functional Neurological Disorder in Australia
Functional Neurological Disorder Society (FNDS), for professionals.
Here are some studies on the link between FND and Autism – Tamilson et al., 2024, Gonzalez-Herrero et al., 2024, Pun et al., 2020,
Link between gender and FND – McLoughlin et al., 2023.

Got questions for us?? Come along to our LIVE Q&A event! Held online on 27th June (with replay available to all ticket holders). Grab a ticket here and submit your question!

Enjoyed the episode and want to support us further? Join our Patreon community! Patreon subscribers receive ad-free episodes, basic episode transcripts from Season 4 onwards, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

Want polished copies of our episodes in beautiful and readable pdf article format? Grab them here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.