Objective: To observe neural responses to movement among people with Functional Movement Disorder (PwFMD) versus age-matched controls by assessing event-related brain potentials (ERPs) related to attention and motor planning.

Background: Neurophysiological investigations of response to movement for PwFMD may provide insights into adherence and outcomes [1]. Both yoga and aerobic exercise have potential to improve function in PwFMD, but through different underlying mechanisms. Electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings can be used to investigate ERPs that are markers of attention (P3) and movement initiation (contingent negative variation; CNV). Changes in these components in PwFMD’s response to different exercise interventions could help identify FMD biomarkers and potential neural targets for FMD phenotypes.

Method: We will evaluate up to 10 PwFMD and 10 age-matched controls by recording EEG during a pre-cue reaching task and resting-state, before and after a yoga session and a moderate-vigorous intensity (65-80% heart rate maximum) exercise session. We will apply ANCOVA to evaluate the P3, CNV, and resting state EEG characteristics before and after each movement session for PwFMD and age-matched controls.

Results: We hypothesize that yoga may cultivate synchronous modulation of self-regulatory top-down (attention) and bottom-up (sensory) mechanisms. Moderate-vigorous aerobic exercise is hypothesized to increase physical arousal and attentional processing speed. Based on these hypotheses and prior research [2], we predict PwFMD will exhibit higher P3 and lower CNV amplitudes compared to age-matched controls at baseline. After yoga and aerobic exercise, we predict more CNV amplitude enhancement for PwFMD versus controls. We anticipate that PwFMD and age-matched controls will exhibit different P3 amplitude changes after yoga and aerobic exercise: P3 amplitude attenuation for PwFMD versus amplitude enhancement for controls. For PwFMD we also predict P3 latency increase after yoga versus P3 latency decrease after aerobic exercise.

Conclusion: These anticipated results have implications for FMD intervention design and PwFMD’s response to movement from a neurophysiological perspective.

References: [1] Gilmour, G. S., Langer, L. K., Lang, A. E., MacGillivray, L., & Lidstone, S. C. (2023). Neuropsychiatric phenotypes in functional movement disorder. CNS Spectrums, 1–35. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1092852923002353

[2] Blakemore, R. L., Hyland, B. I., Hammond-Tooke, G. D., & Anson, J. G. (2015). Deficit in late-stage contingent negative variation provides evidence for disrupted movement preparation in patients with conversion paresis. Biological Psychology, 109, 73–85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2015.04.009

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/eeg-profiles-in-people-with-functional-movement-disorders-before-and-after-a-single-bout-of-hatha-yoga-and-moderate-vigorous-intensity-aerobic-exercise-a-protocol-for-a-pilot-feasibility-study/