Torquay and District Medical Society January Meeting
Imperial Hotel, Torquay, Thursday 28th January 2027 at 7:30pm
Cost £25*, includes dinner followed by a talk by Dr Marie Jasim (see below).
Please book your tickets using the form below
Dr Marie Jasim
From Hysteria to Functional Neurological Disorder
Hysteria to Functional Neurological Disorder - Marie Jasim - TDMS January Speaker.jpg
Dr Marie Jasim
From Hysteria to Functional Neurological Disorder
A Very Unfinished Story
Join us for a relaxed tour of the changing story of what is now termed Functional Neurological Disorder.
We trace its evolution from historical ideas of “hysteria” through to more modern neurological and psychiatric frameworks. How have explanations for these symptoms shifted over time, reflecting the dominant medical and cultural ideas of the day?
The session will revisit some key figures and turning points in this history, including nineteenth-century neurology, psychoanalytic ideas, and later diagnostic classifications.
It will also reflect on how terminology has changed, from “hysteria” and “conversion disorder” to contemporary concepts of functional neurological symptoms.
Although understanding of Functional Neurological Disorder has advanced considerably, the story remains unfinished.
The talk will use this topic as a way to think about how medicine responds to uncertainty, contested diagnoses, and symptoms that sit uneasily between specialties.
Dr Marie Jasim is a Clinical Research Fellow in Neurology at Torbay Hospital, with interests in Functional Neurological Disorder, neurorehabilitation, and medical education.
Alongside her clinical and research work, she has an interest in the history and evolving understanding of functional neurological symptoms, and is committed to improving recognition and care for this often misunderstood patient group.
* Please note that payment will be required at least one week in advance of the event. Cancellations received within 48 hours of the event cannot be refunded.