[Transdisciplinary treatment of functional movement disorders: integration instead of dissociation]. / Die transdisziplinäre Behandlung funktioneller Bewegungsstörungen: Integration statt Dissoziation.

Successful treatment of patients with functional motor disorders is integrative in several ways: the primary treatment goal is the (re)integration of sensorimotor, cognitive and social functioning. The prerequisites for this are an integrated biopsychosocial model of everyone involved as well as close transdisciplinary cooperation. Instead of a simple addition of treatment components, all care providers and patients act in concert.

Functional Somatic Disorders, Their Subtypes, and Their Association With Self-Rated Health in the German General Population.

OBJECTIVE: The heterogeneous conceptualizations and classifications of persistent and troublesome physical symptoms impede their adequate clinical management. Functional somatic disorder (FSD) is a recently suggested interface concept that is etiologically neutral and allows for dysfunctional psychobehavioral characteristics as well as somatic comorbidity. However, its prevalence and impact are not yet known. METHODS: We analyzed 2379 participants (mean age = 48.3 years, 52.5% female) from a representative German community survey using operationalized FSD criteria. These criteria defined FSD types based on somatic symptom count, type, and severity assessed by the Bodily Distress Syndrome Checklist. In addition, the associations of those types with health concerns, comorbidity, psychological distress, and self-rated health were determined. RESULTS: There were four clearly demarcated groups with no relevant bothering symptoms, with one or with few bothering symptoms from one organ system, and with multiple bothering symptoms from at least two organ systems. Psychological distress, health concerns, and comorbidity steadily increased, and self-rated health decreased according to the number and severity of symptoms. Somatic symptom burden, health concerns, and comorbidity independently predicted self-rated health, with no interaction effect between the latter two. CONCLUSIONS: Our data support an FSD concept with two severity grades according to persistent and troublesome symptoms in one versus more organ systems. The delimitation of subtypes with psychobehavioral characteristics and/or with somatic comorbidity seems useful, while still allowing the demarcation of a group of participants with high symptom burden but without those additional characteristics.

Modern Principles of Diagnosis and Treatment in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Background: Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a relatively common complication, occurring in 5% of cases after injury or surgery, particularly in the limbs. The incidence of CPRS is around 5-26/100 000. The latest revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11) now categorizes CRPS as a primary pain condition of multifactorial origin, rather than a disease of the skeletal system or the autonomic nervous system. METHODS: Method: Based on a selective search of the literature, we summarize current principles for the diagnosis and treatment of CRPS. RESULTS: Results: Regional findings in CRPS are accompanied by systemic symptoms, especially by neurocognitive disorders of body perception and of symptom processing. The therapeutic focus is shifting from predominantly passive peripheral measures to early active treatments acting both centrally and peripherally. The treatment is centered on physiotherapy and occupational therapy to improve sensory perception, strength, (fine) motor skills, and sensorimotor integration/ body perception. This is supported by stepped psychological interventions to reduce anxiety and avoidance behavior, medication to decrease inflammation and pain, passive physical measures for reduction of edema and of pain, and medical aids to improve functioning in daily life. Interventional procedures should be limited to exceptional cases and only be performed in specialized centers. Spinal cord and dorsal root ganglion stimulation, respectively, are the interventions with the best evidence. CONCLUSION: Conclusion: The modern principles for the diagnosis and treatment of CRPS consider both, physiological and psychological mechanisms, with the primary goal of restoring function and participation. More research is needed to strengthen the evidence base in this field.

Migraine in the context of chronic primary pain, chronic overlapping pain disorders, and functional somatic disorders: A narrative review.

OBJECTIVE: To contextualize migraine as the most common primary headache disorder in relation to other chronic primary pain and non-pain functional somatic and mental conditions. BACKGROUND: Migraine is increasingly understood as a sensory processing disorder within a broader spectrum of symptom disorders. This has implications for diagnosis and treatment. METHOD: Narrative review based on a search of the literature of the last 15 years on the overlap of migraine with other symptom disorders. RESULTS: Migraine as the prototypical primary headache disorder not only comprises many non-headache symptoms in itself, it also shows high comorbidity with other chronic pain and non-pain conditions (e.g., fibromyalgia syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, functional non-epileptic seizures, depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder). Such "symptom disorders" share several etiological factors (e.g., female preponderance, psychological vulnerability) and psychophysiological mechanisms (e.g., altered sensory processing, pain expectancy). These facts are acknowledged by several recent integrative conceptualizations such as chronic primary pain, chronic overlapping pain conditions, or functional somatic disorders. Accordingly, migraine management increasingly addresses the total symptom burden and individual contributors to symptom experience, and thus incorporates centrally acting pharmacological and non-pharmacological, that is, psychological and behavioral, treatment approaches. CONCLUSIONS: Migraine and also other primary headache disorders should be seen as particular phenotypes within a broader spectrum of symptom perception and processing disorders that require integrative diagnostics and treatment. A harmonization of classifications and better interdisciplinary collaboration are desirable.

Gender specific somatic symptom burden and mortality risk in the general population.

Gender specific all-cause mortality risk associated with a high somatic symptom burden (SSB) in a population-based cohort was investigated. The study population included 5679 women and 5861 men aged 25-74 years from the population-based MONICA/KORA Cohort. SSB was assessed following the Somatic Symptom Scale-8 and categorized as very high (≥ 95th percentile), high (60-95th percentile), moderate (30-60th percentile), and low (≤ 30th percentile). The impact of SSB on all-cause mortality risk within a mean follow-up period of 22.6 years (SD 7.1; 267,278 person years) was estimated by gender-specific Cox regression models adjusted for sociodemographic, lifestyle, somatic and psychosocial risk factors, as well as pre-existing medical conditions. Approximately 5.7% of men and 7.3% of women had very high SSB. During follow-up, 3638 (30.6%) mortality cases were observed. Men with a very-high SSB had 48% increased relative risk of mortality in comparison to men with a low SSB after adjustment for concurrent risk factors (1.48, 95% CI 1.20-1.81, p < .0001), corresponding to 2% increased risk of mortality for each 1-point increment in SSB (1.02; 95% CI 1.01-1.03; p = 0.03). In contrast, women with a very high SSB had a 22% lower risk of mortality (0.78, 95% CI 0.61-1.00, p = 0.05) and women with high SSB had an 18% lower risk of mortality (0.82; 95% CI 0.68-0.98, p = 0.03) following adjustment for concurrent risk factors. The current findings indicate that an increasing SSB is an independent risk factor for mortality in men but not in women, pointing in the direction of critical gender differences in the management of SSB, including women's earlier health care utilization than men.

Stability and predictors of somatic symptoms in men and women over 10 years: A real-world perspective from the prospective MONICA/KORA study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the stability of somatic symptoms in community-dwelling participants. METHODS: The study included 2472 participants (1190 men, 1282 women; mean age 44.3 ± 10.9) from the prospective population-based MONICA-S3 cohort (1994/95) and the 10-year follow-up KORA-F3 cohort. Somatic symptoms were assessed by an adapted version of the Somatic Symptom Scale-8 (SSS-8a) with scores ranging from 0 to 24. Somatic symptom stability was assessed by weighted kappa values (κ). Generalized Estimating Equation models assessing symptom stability were adjusted for sociodemographic, lifestyle, clinical and psychosocial risk factors, as well as pre-existing medical conditions. RESULTS: The mean (±SD) SSS-8a was lower in men (S3: 6.88 ± 3.87, F3: 6.60 ± 3.86) than women (S3: 8.43 ± 4.0, F3: 8.31 ± 4.2) at both time points. However, somatic symptoms remained moderately stable in both genders over 10 years (κ =0.42 in men and κ = 0.48 in women), with the largest stability observed in trouble sleeping for men (κ =0.41) and pain in the joints for women (κ =0.41). Pre-existing somatic symptoms were significantly associated with increasing symptoms at follow-up [men: ß = 0.82 (SE 0.12), women: ß = 0.85 (SE 0.12)], followed by age and psychosocial factors, whereas higher education and recent health care utilization were inversely associated with increasing symptoms. Although hypertension and obesity were associated with increasing somatic symptoms in men, pre-existing medical conditions were not associated with increasing somatic symptoms in men nor women. CONCLUSIONS: The current findings indicate that somatic symptoms remain moderately stable in the general population during 10 years of follow-up, mainly driven by sociodemographic and psychosocial factors.

[Functional somatic symptoms: Clinical varieties, diagnostic challenges, therapeutic principles]. / Funktionelle Körperbeschwerden: Klinische Vielfalt, diagnostische Herausforderungen, therapeutische Prinzipien.

Functional somatic symptoms are common and multiform. They occur in all genders and age groups, with and without somatic or mental comorbidity. Dysfunctional illness behaviour on the patients' (e. g., excessive attention or anxiety) and also on the caregivers' side (e. g., nocebo messages, redundant investigations or risky treatments) can promote chronification. Empathy, well balanced diagnostics, comprehensible information within individual multifactorial explanatory models, refocussing, activation, and - in more severe forms - additional measures such as psychotherapy are recommended.

Let's Get Personal, Let's Get Physical: Approaching the Bodily Self in Clinical Interactions.

Medicine usually looks at the body as a biochemical and physical apparatus - from a distant third-person perspective, with fragmented, reductionist positions, unidirectional causal models, and highly selective foci. Even psychiatrists and psychotherapists focus more and more on the brain as an organ, look at genes and colourful pictures. And just as biomedical medicine stares at physical and chemical facts and ignores the person, one could say that psychotherapy stares at personality, cognition, and behaviour and ignores the body. But the lowlands where being-a-person and having-a-body meetmatter a lot for becoming ill, staying, and getting well. What attitudes and what approaches can help us understand the bodily self? After very briefly summarizing current understandings of embodiment and enactivism, we will suggest some practical consequences for everyday clinical diagnostics.

[Body Experience and Body Interaction in Psychotherapeutic Diagnostics]. / Körpererfahrung und Körperinteraktion in der psychotherapeutischen Anamnese- und Befunderhebung.

Since they are core features of many mental and psychosomatic disorders, disturbances of body experience and body interaction are relevant to understand and treat a particular patient. There are several body-related constructs, standardized psychometric instruments and experiments, focusing on single facets and following categorized evaluation. However, there is a lack of terminology and methods to individually and situationally understand and use body experience and body interaction in everyday clinical psychotherapeutic diagnostics. Based on clinical experience and a broad, topic-focused literature research, this discussion agenda delineates their core dimensions - bodily perception, body language, bodily changes, body-related narratives and actions, bodily resonance - and how to approach them by observation, mentalization, and relatedness.

Factitious Disorders in Everyday Clinical Practice.

BACKGROUND: The pathological feigning of disease can be seen in all medical disciplines. It is associated with variegated symptom presentations, self-inflicted injuries, forced but unnecessary interventions, unusual and protracted recoveries, and frequent changes of treating physician. Factitious illness is often difficult to distinguish from functional or dissociative disorders on the one hand, and from malingering on the other. Many cases, even fatal ones, probably go unrecognized. The suspicion that a patient's problem may be, at least in part, factitious is subject to a strong taboo and generally rests on supportive rather than conclusive evidence. The danger of misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment is high. METHODS: On the basis of a selective review of current literature, we summarize the phenomenology of factitious disorders and present concrete strategies for dealing with suspected factitious disorders. RESULTS: Through the early recognition and assessment of clues and warning signs, the clinician will be able to judge whether a factitious disorder should be considered as a differential diagnosis, as a comorbid disturbance, or as the suspected main diagnosis. A stepwise, supportive confrontation of the patient with the facts, in which continued therapeutic contact is offered and no proofs or confessions are demanded, can help the patient set aside the sick role in favor of more functional objectives, while still saving face. In contrast, a tough confrontation without empathy may provoke even more elaborate manipulations or precipitate the abrupt discontinuation of care-seeking. CONCLUSION: Even in the absence of systematic studies, which will probably remain difficult to carry out, it is clearly the case that feigned, falsified, and induced disorders are underappreciated and potentially dangerous differential diagnoses. If the entire treating team successfully maintains an alert, transparent, empathic, and coping-oriented therapeutic approach, the patient will, in the best case, be able to shed the pretense of disease. Above all, the timely recognition of the nature of the problem by the treating team can prevent further iatrogenic harm.

Functional pain disorders - more than nociplastic pain.

BACKGROUND: Nociplastic pain has been recently introduced as a third mechanistic descriptor of pain arising primarily from alterations of neural processing, in contrast to pain due to tissue damage leading to nociceptor activation (nociceptive) or due to lesion or disease of the somatosensory nervous system (neuropathic). It is characterized by hyperalgesia and allodynia, inconsistency and reversibility, as well as dynamic cross-system interactions with biological and psychobehavioral factors. Along with this renewed understanding, functional pain disorders, also classified as chronic primary pain, are being reframed as biopsychosocial conditions that benefit from multimodal treatment. OBJECTIVE: To summarize the current understanding of nociplastic pain and functional pain disorders, with a focus on conditions that are common in neurology practice. METHODS: This was a narrative literature review. RESULTS: Chronic back pain, fibromyalgia syndrome and complex regional pain syndrome are best understood within a biopsychosocial framework of pain perception that considers structural factors (predispositions and sequelae) and psychobehavioral mechanisms. Although pain is often the primary complaint, it should not be the only focus of treatment, as accompanying symptoms such as sleep or mood problems can significantly impact quality of life and offer useful leverage points for multimodal treatment. Analgesic pharmacotherapy is rarely helpful on its own, and should always be imbedded in a multidisciplinary setting.

[Chronic pain syndromes and other persistent functional somatic symptoms]. / Chronische Schmerzsyndrome und andere persistierende funktionelle Körperbeschwerden.

Somatic symptoms including pain are everyday human experiences. They usually result from a complex interaction of stimuli, interpretation and reaction, and are not necessarily proportional to structural damage. Persistent functional somatic symptoms can be associated with a significant impairment of quality of life and functioning, even without mental or somatic comorbidity. Dysfunctional experiences, expectancies and behavior, not only by patients but also by physicians, can increase the risk of chronification. From the outset, management should be graded with respect to the severity and biopsychosocial aspects, with thorough but cautious diagnostics and with psychoeducative, active and coping-oriented treatment.