We are excited to be able to share the invitation for this online study investigating the effect of surgery and anaesthesic on symptoms of FND. The study is being run by researchers at the Queensland University of Technology, and is an online questionnaire.
The researchers are looking for people with FND who have had at least one procedure involving general or local anaesthetic (including dental procedures). Detailed information from the researchers is available below, and you can access the survey by clicking this link.
The study aims to understand how Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) symptoms may change following surgery and anaesthesia (By anaesthetic we mean any medicine used to stop you feeling pain during a procedure. This includes being fully put to sleep, sedation to make you drowsy, and injections that numb one part of the body – such as a spinal or dental injection).
We created this survey to learn how functional symptoms change before and after procedures requiring anaesthetic (what we call the peri-operative period). Our aim is to use this research to improve how doctors manage and treat Functional Neurological Disorder (FND).
This study will use an online questionnaire to ask people with FND about their experiences following surgical or medical procedures. Participants will be asked to recall surgeries they have had, the type of anaesthetic used, and whether their FND symptoms changed after the procedure.
The project has been created is in collaboration with A/Prof Alex Lehn. We have also worked with people with FND to assess the survey and gain feedback.
Who can take part: adults (18+) with a diagnosis of FND who have had at least one procedure requiring an anaesthetic — including general anaesthesia, sedation, and local or regional techniques. Dental procedures, endoscopy and day-case surgery all count.
What it involves: an anonymous REDCap survey taking roughly 20 minutes, plus around 10 minutes for each procedure the participant chooses to describe. It can be completed in stages.
Survey link: Click here to access the survey
The study has been approved by the Metro South Health Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC/QMS/125602).
