Description:

Title: Gendered Disparities in Health: From Hysteria to Functional Neurological Disorder

By Rebecca Seligman, Associate Professor of Anthropology and IPR Fellow

Abstract: Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is a disabling condition characterized by debilitating neurological symptoms in the absence of identifiable organic pathology. Despite being one of the most common diagnoses in neurology clinics, FND remains poorly understood and highly stigmatized. Seligman’s research examines the role of social and gendered experience in shaping the diagnosis and treatment of FND, with particular attention to its striking gender disparity: Women account for up to 80% of diagnosed cases. Drawing on qualitative research with FND patients, Seligman argues that FND and other psychologically mediated illnesses have been feminized within biomedical practice and institutional structures. Ideas about what is real and unreal in medicine intersect with gendered assumptions about emotionality and credibility, with concrete consequences for care, research investment, and access to insurance and disability support. Focus on FND’s status as a gendered condition underscores the need for clinical and policy interventions that address the social dimensions of functional illness.

This event is part of the Fay Lomax Cook Winter 2026 Colloquium Series, where our researchers from around the University share their latest policy-relevant research.

Please note all colloquia this quarter will be held in-person only.