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Dance/Movement Therapy for Functional Neurological Disorder
Sponsor: King's College London
Summary
Building on evidence for somatic or physical interventions in functional neurological disorder (FND), the goal of this study is to test the feasibility of a structured dance/movement task in individuals with FND, and explore the potential use of somatic or body-based therapies in this population. The primary study outcomes will be the feasibility and acceptability of a structured dance/movement therapy (DMT) intervention for individuals diagnosed with FND. The study will also explore whether this type of intervention has potential to contribute to elevating trust in the body and general wellbeing, alongside reducing functional neurological and dissociative symptoms. Researchers will compare structured dance/movement therapy to a physical exercise/body coordination condition.
Official title: Structured Dance/Movement Therapy for Functional Neurological Disorder: A Feasibility Study
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
30
Start Date
2026-01-28
Completion Date
2026-08-28
Last Updated
2026-02-04
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Structured dance/movement
Fifteen participants will be randomly assigned using a computer-generated allocation sequence to the dance/movement intervention. This will involve a combination of light stretching, warming up using contact with a stress ball, and aerobic dance movements which follow the rhythm of a piece of music. It will be accessible to a range of abilities and will take \~30 minutes. This intervention has been developed with the aim of: * Enhancing adaptive bodily awareness, allowing the participant to feel more safe and at home in their body while promoting accurate and non-judgmental detection of bodily signals * Working with rhythms and coordinated movements leading to the elevation of the salience of bodily signals (heartbeat, sweating) in a structured setting - promoting adaptive noticing of signals in the body, not distracting from what one might be feeling. * Helping participants to engage with their body, notice and sense what they're feeling, and feel more comfortable moving their body.
Physical exercise/body coordination
Fifteen participants will be randomly assigned to this task. This will involve simple functional stretches, balances and limb coordination exercises and will use only neutral instructions. It will be accessible to a range of abilities and will take \~30 minutes. This task has been developed as the control condition with the following in mind: * Including functional movement matched for level of aerobic intensity to the dance/movement task. * Matching the length of the task and level of contact with the lead researcher/research team. * No prompts or explicit instructions to focus on bodily sensations, the self or body in the present moment, or to move in an expressive way; purely focused on mobility and physical functioning.
Locations (1)
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London
London, London, United Kingdom