Sense of Agency in Functional Movement Disorders: Insights and Perspectives
Aditya Murgai MBBS, MD, DM1*, Salonee V. Patel PhD2, Svetlana Iskhakova MD, FRCPC3
1Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
2Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
3Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
*Corresponding Author: Aditya Murgai, Assistant Professor in Neurology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
https://doi.org/10.58624/SVOANE.2025.06.007
Received: January 12, 2025
Published: February 18, 2025
Citation: Murgai A, Patel SV, Iskhakova S. Sense of Agency in Functional Movement Disorders: Insights and Perspectives. SVOA Neurology 2025, 6:1, 33-38. doi: 10.58624/ SVOANE.2025.06.007
Abstract
Functional movement disorders (FMD) are movement abnormalities that are distractible, inconsistent over time, and incongruent with typical features of movement disorders. The sense of agency (SoA) is the feeling of controlling one’s own motor actions and, through them, the course of external events. Impaired self-agency is considered a key factor in the pathophysiology of FMD. While several theoretical models have been proposed to explain the SoA, the active inference model offers a comprehensive framework that integrates both sensorimotor and cognitive processes. Evidence from neuroimaging studies in FMD shows functional abnormalities in the brain regions associated with SoA, especially the right temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and supplementary motor area (SMA). Experimental paradigms like intentional binding and sensory attenuation have revealed a loss of agency in FMD. This review explores the theoretical models and current evidence regarding SoA impairment in FMD.
Keywords: Sense of Agency, Functional Movement Disorder.
