Lily Smythe
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lilysmythe.bsky.social
Lily Smythe
@lilysmythe.bsky.social
PhD student interested in the co-occurrence of Functional Neurological Disorder and Autism. Part of NREG and Re:Spect Lab and based at the IoPPN, King's College London
Autism and FND are both complex and often misunderstood.

This study is a step toward understanding that overlap - and hopefully toward better diagnosis and support.

Thanks to my co-authors @liviaasan.bsky.social,
@timnicholson.bsky.social, Francesca Happé, and Mark Edwards
Co-occurring functional neurological disorder and autism: an exploratory study of comorbidities in a retrospective cohort study using TriNetX - Journal of Neurology
Background Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) encompasses motor, cognitive, and sensory symptoms resulting from disruptions in brain-body communication. Emerging research suggests a higher-than-expected occurrence of autism in FND, potentially due to shared cognitive mechanisms and overlapping comorbidities. However, large-scale characterisation of this dual-diagnosis is lacking. Methods Using de-identified health records from the TriNetX research network, we identified children and adults with both FND and autism (‘FND + Autism’), comparing them to individuals with FND only (‘FND-only’) and autism only (‘Autism-only’). We examined psychiatric comorbidities (e.g. mood, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, personality disorders, obsessive–compulsive disorder), intellectual disability and ADHD. Results Of 220,312 individuals with an FND diagnosis, and 674,971 individuals with an autism diagnosis, 5,152 (2.3% of FND, 0.76% of autism) had both FND and autism. The rates of autism were therefore 6 times higher in FND compared to the base rates of the TriNetX population. Most were diagnosed with autism before FND, with over one-third diagnosed in childhood. Functional seizures were the most common FND subtype, and were more frequent in FND + Autism than FND-only (adults: 52% vs. 44%; children: 47% vs. 42%). Comorbidity across all psychiatric conditions was significantly higher in FND + Autism compared to both comparison groups. ADHD was particularly elevated in FND + Autism (adults: 50% vs. 13% FND-only, 36% Autism-only; children: 64% vs. 21% FND-only, 41% Autism-only). Conclusions This study presents the largest dataset to date characterising individuals with co-occurring FND and autism. Findings are consistent with previous findings of higher rates of autism in people with FND and reveal a potentially distinct clinical profile, marked by elevated rates of ADHD and psychiatric comorbidities, and increased occurrence of functional seizures compared to FND- or Autism-only groups. Recognising this overlap may improve diagnosis, clinical care, and understanding of mechanisms underlying the co-occurrence of FND and autism.
link.springer.com
September 26, 2025 at 10:22 AM
ADHD was particularly elevated in those with FND and autism, higher than the rates seen in those with just autism
(50% of adults and 64% of children)

This asks the question of whether we broaden out the interest in autism and FND to neurodiversity and FND
September 26, 2025 at 10:22 AM
We found:

➡️ The rate of autism was 6 times higher in FND than in the base rate of autism in the TriNetX population

➡️ Functional seizures were the most common FND subtype

➡️ Those with both FND and autism had significantly higher rates of psychiatric comorbidities (OCD, personality disorders, PTSD)
September 26, 2025 at 10:22 AM
Apologies for missing this- unfortunately the study is only open to UK participants :)
September 1, 2025 at 8:50 AM
Thanks for sharing Abby!
August 11, 2025 at 11:14 AM
hahaha i complained there were so many tourists but of course that doesn’t apply to me
May 23, 2025 at 12:40 PM
it was such a brilliant trip, and i’d really recommend anyone to go and visit!!!
March 24, 2025 at 9:10 PM
hearing about nationalist conflict and genocide they feel like unfamiliar terms, something you won’t experience, but i think bosnia and herzegovina serve as a sobering reminder of the familiar faces and forms fascism can take
March 24, 2025 at 9:10 PM
hard to put into words how upsetting + unnerving the feeling of proximity to the 1992 siege was - we walked past multiple graveyards full of headstones dated between 1992 to 1995
March 24, 2025 at 9:10 PM