Work

Exploring early-career sudanese physicians’ perspectives on functional neurological disorder: Knowledge, attitude, and clinical practice

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Background In medical practice, it is not uncommon for patients to present with physical symptoms for which no identifiable organic pathology can be found. Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is a disabling neuropsychiatric condition, characterized by neurological symptoms without identifiable structural or pathophysiological abnormalities. Research on FND remains scarce, and few studies have explored physicians’ perspectives regarding FND. The purpose of this study is to explore knowledge, attitude, and practice of Sudanese physicians towards FND. Methods This observational study enrolled Sudanese physicians working at teaching hospital. Participants were asked to fill out an online self-administered questionnaire comprising questions regarding their knowledge, attitude, practice regarding FND. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyze data. Results Of 123 physicians approached, 87 completed the online self-administered questionnaire. The majority were male (51.7%, n = 45). House officers represented the majority of the respondents (60.9%, n = 53), followed by registrars (21.8%, n = 19), and general practitioners (18.4%, n = 16). Most (85%, n = 74) had less than 5 years of experience. Almost half of the participants (49.4%, n = 43) believed that they have good knowledge about FND, including its pathogenesis, underlying mechanisms, and treatment strategies. Participants reported variability in their clinical approaches to FND. However, they also acknowledged several barriers to effectively managing FND patients, including “ FND patients being more demanding and difficult to deal with” (56.3%, n = 49), “lack of consensus or guidelines about how to treat patients with FND” (55.2%, n = 48), and “Hospital capacity strain”. Conclusion This study is the first to explore Sudanese physicians’ knowledge attitude and practice toward FND. Physicians showed features of lack of knowledge, attitude, and variation in practice. More research should be conducted to explore factors influencing knowledge attitude and practice regarding FND. Greater educational efforts focusing on FNDs that target all healthcare professionals, communities, and family members should be encouraged to help increase awareness and improve management outcomes for this disorder.

Source: BMC Research Notes

DOI: 10.1186/s13104-026-08009-9

Authors: Mohmed Ahmed Fadelalla Alrayah, Hager Abdelaziz Ahmed Awadelseed, Amna Altayeb Alhaj Ahmed, Yasein Abdelmoneim Mohamed Yasein, Moez M. I. Bashir

Institutions: University of Khartoum, National Ribat University, University of Bahri, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Language: English

Topic: Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments

Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,690