Emerging Trends in Functional Movement Disorders Consultations and the Impact of a Major Life Event

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Abstract
Background: Awareness and major external events can contribute to the number of FMD cases. Objective: To analyze trends in new Functional Movement Disorders (FMD) consultations and the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods: Retrospective analysis of FMD new consultations (2014–2024) at a tertiary movement disorders clinic. Trends and the COVID‐19 impact were analyzed with linear and segmented regression. Patient characteristics in the pre‐ and post‐pandemic periods were compared. Results: Among 14,587 new consultations, 162 were FMD (79% female, mean age at onset 44.7 ± 18.3 years). FMD consultations increased slowly over time, with a marked surge after 2021. The significant rise was observed during the three years post‐pandemic, followed by a return to the pre‐pandemic slope. Pre and post‐pandemic groups’ characteristics were almost similar. Conclusions: FMD consultations increased over time and significantly after the COVID‐19 pandemic. This underscores the influence of increased awareness and external factors.

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