Approach and Clinical Practice of Functional Movement Disorders Among Neurologists in Saudi Arabia

Background Functional movement disorders (FMDs) are neurological disorders that consist of abnormal and involuntary movements that have no specific organic cause. Given the prevalence of FMDs and the scarcity of information on neurologists' approaches to FMDs, we aimed to assess the neurologists' approaches and clinical practice in managing FMDs in Saudi Arabia. Methods A validated online questionnaire in English was used. The data were collected through a self-reported questionnaire. The data were analyzed using the statistical software IBM SPSS version 22 (SPSS, Inc., Armonk, NY). Results A total of 231 neurologists completed the study survey. A total of 129 (55.8%) were males. Regarding the predictors for a diagnosis other than FMD, the highest rating predictor was for evidence of physical injury and lack of psychiatric history of psychological stressors, while the lowest rating was for the male gender. Regarding the effective treatment strategies of FMD, the most effective treatment strategy reported by the clinicians was patient education, while the least was alternative or complementary medicine. The management ability of clinicians was generally restricted by cultural beliefs about psychological illnesses and the availability of referral services. The reported predictors by clinicians for a better prognosis of FMD include acceptance of the diagnosis by the patient followed by identification and management of psychological stressors and concurrent psychiatric disorder and a supportive social network. Generally, the most used terminology in this study was "functional movement disorder". Conclusions There is a variation in the approach and clinical practice of FMD among neurologists in Saudi Arabia. Shared knowledge regarding diagnosis and effective management is crucial. Collaborative efforts are required to establish practice guidelines in the future.