Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy (EMDR) to treat functional neurological disorder: A review

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing therapy (EMDR) is an established treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but there is increasing evidence for its use beyond PTSD. EMDR can be effective at treating distressing memories, not associated with PTSD, as well as somatic symptoms (like chronic pain), and as such could potentially be used as a treatment for patients with functional neurological disorder (FND). A search was conducted for published peer-reviewed articles on the use of EMDR for FND from October 2016 to January 2017. The databases selected and searched were Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINHAL plus, Web of Science, PsychINFO, PubMed and Francine Shapiro Library. This review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Three relevant articles were found. The studies included are one case series and two case studies. Of the five participants included in the studies, four experienced functional non-epileptic attacks; and one experienced functional movement disorder. Four out of the five patients were successfully treated with EMDR. EMDR is potentially a useful treatment of FND, but further research, including controlled trials, is required. The authors propose that EMDR could be useful in treating patients with FND and comorbid PTSD, as well as patients without comorbid PTSD. We discuss the clinical implications and propose how EMDR could fit into the FND treatment pathway.

Journal

English

Sarah R. Cope
Lucy Mountford
Jared G. Smith
Niruj Agrawal

Cope, S. R., Mountford, L., Smith, J. G., & Agrawal, N. (2018). Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy (EMDR) to treat functional neurological disorder: A review. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 12(3), 118-132.   doi:10.1891/1933-3196