COVID Vaccine ‘Reactions’ for Functional Neurological Disorder

Many videos of people facing walking difficulties and abnormal movements are surfacing all over social media. These videos are related to the people who have got their COVID vaccines. A few people believe these videos to be fake, and others feel that the vaccine is quite dangerous to produce these symptoms.

In the words of psychiatrist and neurologist David Perez, MD, MMSc, “These conclusions are incorrect. The circulation of these videos could fuel the hesitancy to the vaccine, as it gives a simplistic impression of the potential links that are present between the major neurological symptoms and the COVID vaccine.”

Another viewpoint kept forward by JAMA Neurology states that the COVID-19 vaccine may lead to the development of Functional Neurological Disorder. This neuropsychiatric disorder leads to gait problems, limb weakness, tremors, jerky movements, and facial spasms. Moreover, David Perez believes that these symptoms occur because of the brain-based disorders present at the intersection of psychiatry and neurology.

The Neurology Specialists states that Functional Neurological Disorder is the disruption in the brain’s standard mechanism that controls your body. The FND can occur due to emotional or physical events that include the medical or surgical procedure, head injury, and vaccinations. A few Neurologists have stated that the videos circulating over social media also include those not related to the vaccines, but the FND disorder is seen in these patients. Even the videos that were portraying movement disorders after the vaccine were people suffering from FND.

According to David Perez, “Most people are not aware of the symptoms of Functional Neurological Disorder, and they are unaware of their body too. It leads to an increased state of arousal and threats that will hijack the normal neural network, which controls voluntary movements. Moreover, the FND teaches a lot about the complexities related to the human brain to the people too.”

In another statement given by David Dongkyung Kim, “The individuals who are experiencing FND may experience the biopsychosocial model that involves the interplay of some risk factors, perpetuating factors, and triggering events. So, individuals can be treated by providing them physical rehabilitation, education, and psychotherapy.” Kim is MD and clinical fellow in Behavioral Neurology-Neuropsychiatry and currently associated with MGH.

So, the neurology specialists must make the patients aware of the FND or Functional Neurological Disorder and bring them out of the myths related to the COVID-19 vaccine. You can visit the top neurologists in NYC at Complete Neurological Care 225 Broadway # 705, New York, NY 10007, United States.