Acute functional neurological symptoms in emergency patients
Functional Neurological Disorders in Acute Hospital Care
This project will look back at emergency patients with functional neurological disorder to see how often they present, what symptoms and diagnostic pathways they had, and how hospital resources were used.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Enrollment | 1000 (estimated) |
| Ages | 16 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Basel) |
| Trial ID | NCT07538414 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This is a retrospective single-center analysis of patients aged 16 and older who presented with acute neurological symptoms to the University Hospital Basel between 1 January 2012 and 31 March 2026. Investigators will extract clinical and administrative data from hospital records, including presenting features, diagnostic tests, final diagnoses, length of stay, and other measures of healthcare utilization. The analysis will describe the frequency, clinical presentation, diagnostic pathways, and resource use of patients identified with functional neurological disorder. No interventions are performed; the work is observational and descriptive.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Patients aged 16 or older who presented to the University Hospital Basel emergency services between 1 January 2012 and 31 March 2026 with acute neurological symptoms and have documented diagnostic evaluations are included.
Not a fit: People who did not present to University Hospital Basel during the study period, who are younger than 16, who refused use of their health data, or whose records lack sufficient documentation will not be represented and therefore will not directly benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Improved knowledge of presentation patterns and resource use could help clinicians recognize functional neurological disorder earlier and reduce unnecessary testing and delays.
How similar studies have performed: Previous retrospective and observational analyses of functional neurological disorder in emergency and neurology settings have provided useful descriptive insights, so this approach is established though local patterns may differ.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Patients older than 16 years old presenting as an emergency case to the University Hospital Basel between 1 January 2012 and 31 March 2026 * with acute neurological symptoms requiring immediate neurological work-up (e.g, acute motor or sensory disturbance, acute speech disorder, acute vestibular disorder, acute cognitive disorder, acute consciousness disorder, acute seizure disorder) * and a documented diagnostic evaluation during hospitalization. Exclusion Criteria: * Documented refusal for further use of health related data for research purposes * Insufficient documentation to determine diagnosis or clinical course * Incomplete or inconsistent datasets compromising valid endpoint determination * Younger than 16 years
Where this trial is running
Basel
- University Hospital Basel — Basel, Switzerland (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Urs Fisch, MD PhD
- Email: urs.fisch@usb.ch
- Phone: +41 61 265 2525
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.