Feasibility and Usability of a Mobile App for Monitoring and Managing Functional Movement Disorders

People with FMD may experience symptoms such as tremor, jerks, spasms, or difficulty walking. These symptoms are not caused by damage to the brain or nerves. Instead, they happen because the brain is not sending or processing signals in the usual way. Symptoms can change from day to day, and stress, emotions, or certain situations may make them better or worse.

Right now, patients are often asked to remember how their symptoms have been since their last clinic visit or to write things down in a notebook. This can be hard to do and may not give an accurate picture of what is happening. Because of this, doctors and patients may miss important patterns or triggers, and it can be harder to know which coping strategies are helpful.

To improve this, our team has created a mobile app that allows people with FMD to easily record their symptoms, stress level, and mood, in real time. The app also includes simple self-help tools that may support symptom management. Before using this app more widely, we want to find out (1) whether patients can use it as intended and (2) whether they find it easy and helpful to use. This study will help us understand if the app is practical for use in an FMD clinic and how it could be improved.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Functional Movement Disorder

Detailed Description

Functional movement disorders (FMD) can cause symptoms such as tremor, jerking, or walking difficulties. These symptoms are not due to structural damage in the brain or nerves but relate to how the brain is functioning. Symptoms often vary over time and may be affected by stress, emotions, and everyday situations, which can be hard to track accurately between clinic visits.

This study will evaluate the feasibility and usability of a mobile application designed to help people with FMD record symptom flares, stress levels, and possible triggers, and access simple self-help tools. The app also produces summary reports that can be reviewed during clinic visits.

Ten adults with FMD will use the app for six weeks. Participants on the first visit will be given brief training about the app. Follow-up visits will be every two weeks to review app summaries and address technical issues. At week 6, participants will complete a short usability questionnaire and a brief interview about their experience.

The study's main goal is to determine whether participants can and will use the app as intended and whether they find it acceptable and easy to use

We invite you to take part in a research study looking at a new mobile phone app designed for people with Functional Movement Disorders (FMD). Taking part is completely voluntary.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 10

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Aditya Murgai, MBBS MD DM; Phone Number: 15196633121; Email: aditya.murgai@lhsc.on.ca

Study Locations

• Canada
  • London, Canada, N6A5A5
    • University Hospital
    • Contact: Aditya Murgai, MBBS; Phone Number: 5196633121; Email: murgai03@gmail.com

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Functional Movement Disorder Clinic

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age ≥18
• Diagnosed with a functional movement disorder
• Own a smartphone
• Ability to read and understand English
• Ability to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Acute psychiatric crisis
• Limitations that make it impossible to use a smartphone app

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Functional Movement Disorder

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Feasibility: Can patients use the app as intended for 6 weeks?	Can patients use the app as intended for 6 weeks?	6 weeks
Acceptability and Usability	Do patients find the app acceptable and easy to use?	6 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Clinical Utility	Do app summaries feel clinically useful during visits?	6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Western University, Canada

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): February 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): February 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 19, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 19, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): January 28, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 28, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 19, 2026
• Last Verified: January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: mobile app; functional movement disorder
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Somatoform Disorders; Conversion Disorder
• Other Study ID Numbers: 128351

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: At this time, IPD will not be shared due to confidentiality concerns.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No