Post-Concussion Syndrome and Functional Neurological Disorder
A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Research".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2026) | Viewed by 3786
Editor
Interests: concussion; mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI); post-concussion syndrome (PCS); repetitive head injury; sports-related concussion; military-related concussion; biomechanics of concussion; neuroinflammation; axonal injury; metabolic crisis; neurovascular dysfunction; biomarkers; blood biomarkers; CSF biomarkers; imaging biomarkers; clinical assessment; neuroimaging; MRI; DTI; fMRI; MEG; electrophysiology; EEG; QEEG; evoked potentials; neurocognitive testing; digital diagnostics; eye-tracking; multidisciplinary rehabilitation; physical therapy; vestibular rehabilitation; cognitive rehabilitation; occupational therapy; speech and language therapy; pharmacological interventions; non-invasive brain stimulation; TMS; tDCS; pediatric concussion; adolescent athletes; female athletes; military personnel; veterans; older adults; return-to-play; return-to-learn; return-to-work; recovery trajectories; risk factors for prolonged symptoms; chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE); digital health tools; tele-rehabilitatio
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Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Post-concussion syndrome (PCS) and functional neurological disorder (FND) represent two highly disabling yet often misunderstood conditions at the interface of neurology, psychiatry, and rehabilitative medicine. PCS arises following mild traumatic brain injury and is characterized by persistent symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and cognitive complaints. FND, on the other hand, is diagnosed on the basis of positive clinical signs and includes presentations such as functional motor symptoms, dissociative seizures, and functional cognitive disorder.
Despite their different diagnostic frameworks, PCS and FND share overlapping features: symptom persistence, cognitive and psychological comorbidities, and management challenges. Recent advances in neuroimaging, biomarkers, and rehabilitation strategies offer new opportunities for understanding the underlying mechanisms and improving patient outcomes.
This Special Issue will bring together clinical, neurobiological, and therapeutic perspectives on PCS and FND. We welcome contributions including original research, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and narrative reviews on topics such as the following:
- Pathophysiology and mechanisms (neurobiological, cognitive);
- Advances in diagnosis and clinical assessment;
- Neuroimaging and biomarker development;
- The overlap between PCS, FND, and related conditions;
- Rehabilitation strategies, digital health, and novel interventions.
We invite clinicians, neuroscientists, psychologists, and rehabilitation specialists to contribute to this Special Issue, advancing both our scientific understanding and our clinical approaches to these complex disorders.
Dr. Ioannis Asterios Mavroudis
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Life is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- post-concussion syndrome
- functional neurological disorder
- mild traumatic brain injury
- cognitive dysfunction
- neuroimaging
- biomarkers
- neurorehabilitation
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