Tactile-Induced Catalepsy for Motor FND: A Feasibility Single-Case Experimental Study and Standardized Protocol

OBJECTIVE: Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a common and potentially disabling condition for which accessible, evidence-based treatments remain limited. Tactile-induced catalepsy is a novel intervention that temporarily induces increased muscle tone and postural fixation through noninvasive patterned tactile stimulation, potentially facilitating motor retraining. The authors evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and safety of tactile-induced catalepsy in motor FND. METHODS: A nonconcurrent multiple-baseline single-case experimental design study was conducted with three adults with motor FND. After a 2- to 4-week baseline phase, participants received 12 weekly sessions of tactile-induced catalepsy delivered by an FND-specialized physiotherapist. Physical functioning was assessed twice weekly by using the physical functioning subscale of the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey. Phase and time effects were analyzed with linear mixed-effects models, supplemented by reliable change indices and minimal clinically important difference thresholds. RESULTS: Two participants showed statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in physical functioning during the treatment, and one had a smaller, nonsignificant improvement. No adverse events were reported, and the intervention was feasible to deliver in an outpatient setting. CONCLUSIONS: Tactile-induced catalepsy was found to be feasible and associated with improved physical functioning among most participants, supporting further evaluation in larger controlled studies as a potentially accessible and scalable intervention for managing motor FND.