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Project Fionigan
A plain-language page about FND, communication access, and how Project Fionigan helps keep a patient’s story together when lived explanation becomes difficult.
Project Fionigan keeps fragmented FND information connected, source-linked, and human-readable when lived communication becomes difficult.
New to FND? Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is a real neurological condition that affects how the brain sends and receives signals, which can cause problems with movement, speech, sensation, thinking, or seizure-like episodes. NIH/NINDS overview.
I am not learning how to have FND. I am learning how to have FND publicly.
FIRST AND FOREMOST
This is a medical journey with family in the boat.
The starting point is a real person living a medical and accessibility journey. Family is in the boat too. Project Fionigan is the navigation layer for that boat: it helps keep the medical journey, documents, questions, access needs, and next steps from scattering.
The website, overlay, pages, documents, and conference materials are context around that journey. The public version stays de-identified and informational.
Public de-identification
Public version is de-identified
Patient-specific names, provider names, facility names, email addresses, record identifiers, exact identifying routes, and raw source records are removed or generalized in this public website version.
Objective source status
Source document status
Open the source-status index to see what is already on the site, what is staged privately, and what still needs upload or redaction.
FNDS 2026 Abstract 178
The accepted abstract and conference-facing summary material.
Step 1 — The abstract
FNDS 2026 Abstract 178
The abstract is the official conference version. It explains the problem: FND was not understood early enough, records were scattered, communication failed, and the ER situation escalated.
178 — FIVE YEAR MISDIAGNOSIS OF FUNCTIONAL NEUROLOGICAL DISORDER WITH OVERLAPPING COVID VACCINE, CERVICAL SURGERY, ANESTHETIC STRESS, AND A PROLONGED HANDCUFF RESTRAINT
Background
Functional neurological disorder (FND) is now defined as a rule-in diagnosis based on abnormal brain-network activity rather than structural lesions. Early identification is essential because premature antipsychotic medication and coercive restraint aggravate symptoms and generate legal consequences. FND diagnosis was verified by NIH-funded research protocol Diagnosis and Natural History Study of Patients With Neurological Conditions.
Case Presentation
2021 - After a COVID-19 booster: progressive upper-body tightening with fatigue; CICP claim.
2022 Sept - cervical-spine ACDF: persistent foraminal stenosis. Intra-operative “fighter-flight” stress triggered functional symptoms.
2023 Oct - academic referral center EMG: chronic cervical radiculopathy, mild right median mononeuropathy; no brachial plexus injury. Pinched nerve at cervical post-op.
2023 Dec - NIH EEG/EMG: Bereitschaftspotential and no epileptiform activity; functional chorea confirmed.
2025 Feb - 2.5-hour non-epileptic seizure: ED diagnosed “psychotic break,” gave haloperidol 5 mg IM + risperidone 1 mg q12h before neurophysiology, issued TDO. Called 911 after staff refused release; handcuffed to bed 52 hrs, accused of “eloping.”
Patient-directed communication
Text-to-speech request for GP ignored; returned without GP involvement. This is a local hospital that has all my data. I’ve been going there for years.
Data compilation
A patient-led review applied audit-style validation to create a five-year de-identified case file.
Discussion
Systemic failures:
- Premature antipsychotics without neurophysiologic confirmation;
- Fragmented care and 52-hr restraint amplified symptoms;
- Legal actions based on unsubstantiated psychiatric label: firearms ban, “eloping” accusation.
Onabotulinumtoxin A trial showed no benefit beyond CBT, confirming need for diagnostic confirmation before intervention. BMJ review stresses early rule-in diagnosis and rehab improves outcomes. Multiple triggers — vaccine, incomplete surgery, anesthetic stress — converged to produce FND; misdiagnosis snowballed into medical-legal crisis.
Recommendations
- Mandatory functional neuroimaging before psychiatric labeling;
- Early multidisciplinary pathways;
- Respect patient-directed communication, such as text-to-speech GP requests, to prevent unnecessary restraint.
References
Vizcarra JA et al. Onabotulinumtoxin A and CBT in functional dystonia. Parkinsonism & Related Disorders.
Source: FNDS 2026 Conference Abstracts PDF. Additional references are listed in the abstract book after this entry, but the extracted snippet provided here cuts off immediately after the Vizcarra citation.
Clean one-line version
In plain language: Abstract 178 says delayed FND recognition, scattered records, communication failure, psychiatric framing, and ER/legal escalation all became part of the same crisis.
Official FNDS abstracts page: 2026 Conference Abstracts.
Abstract note
The abstract is reproduced as accepted for FNDS 2026 and reflects the author’s submitted recommendations. It is not a clinical practice guideline.
Project Fionigan does not diagnose, replace medical records, provide medical advice, or make clinical decisions. It is an all-inclusive accessibility-first continuity program that helps keep the story, records, questions, and communication needs together.