aVLFN10 Functional Neurological Disorders in Childhood

Faculty of Medicine
spring 2026
Extent and Intensity
0/0.3. 2 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Synchronous online teaching
Teacher(s)
doc. MUDr. Pavlína Danhofer, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. MUDr. Pavlína Danhofer, Ph.D.
Department of Pediatric Neurology – Institutions shared with the Faculty Hospital Brno (paediatric medicine) – Faculty of Medicine
Supplier department: Department of Pediatric Neurology – Institutions shared with the Faculty Hospital Brno (paediatric medicine) – Faculty of Medicine
Prerequisites
aVLNE9X1c Neurology - practice || VLNE9X1c Neurology - practice
The prerequisite is successful completion of the course Neurology - lecture and Neurology - exercise.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to introduce students to the concept of functional neurological disorders in terms of aetiology, pathophysiology, but above all diagnosis and differential diagnosis. Students will learn about the principles of treatment. This is a group of disorders long referred to as psychogenic or psychosomatic, but the prevalence in children has been increasing in recent years. It is essential to know the concept of FND in the undergraduate periods to be able to diagnose and treat these patients well. Currently, awareness of FND is very vague even in professional circles, but patient access and awareness are essential and can significantly reverse the future course of the disease and improve prognosis. The student must have an understanding of neurological syndromes, this knowledge is essential to differentiate FND from common neurological syndromes. The course is designed in two parts - an introductory lecture with accompanying videos to understand the broader concept of FND. The second part will then review educational case studies with the requirement of active student involvement in their solution.
Learning outcomes
the student will be able to: - be able to explain the nature of a functional neurological disorder and have a conversation with the patient and family about the diagnosis, cause and next steps - distinguish functional neurological disorder from other neurological disorders with a known well-described syndrome ( functional paresis, functional gait disorder, functional myoclonus, functional tremor, functional dystonia, etc.) - recognise other non-neurological symptoms of functional disease and other co-morbidities, and will look for these in a targeted manner - set the correct therapeutic process for the disease
Syllabus
- etiology and pathophysiology of FND - Diagnosis and differential diagnosis (individual syndromes and examination methods) - comorbidities - therapeutic procedures - practical examples from practice
Literature
Teaching methods
lectures, case reports with class discussion
Assessment methods
- completion of the course and active discussion of patients from case reports - evaluation of the student's activity and his/her overview of the problem
Náhradní absolvování
- no alternative date - can be taken online
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
Information on course enrolment limitations: minimum of 5 students
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