How do speech pathologists assess speech and language abilities in functional neurological disorder (FND): A scoping review:

Research indicates that 25 to 50% of individuals with FND present with abnormal speech as part of their clinical presentation. Given their expertise in communication and swallowing disorders, speech pathologists are well equipped to contribute to the diagnostic assessment of patients with FND. However, these presentations along with speech pathology assessment practices are not well documented in the literature, hindering the provision of evidence-based person-centred care. A scoping review will be undertaken to map and synthesise the assessment practices of speech pathologists working with individuals with FND who present with speech and/ or language difficulties. The review has two major aims: • To report on the assessment practices of speech pathologists servicing those with FND, • To describe domains of speech, language and communication needs in individuals with FND. This scoping review will address the following sub questions: • What tools, strategies and practices are used by speech pathologist to assess speech and language in individuals with FND? • Are tools adapted from assessment used for other neurological conditions or are they designed/ adapted specifically for FND? • What strategies or facilitators support effective assessment? • What clinical features or positive signs are most frequently relied upon in assessment? A systematic search will be conducted across MEDLINE, SCOPUS, CINHAL, EMBASE, PsycINFO and Web of Science, along with grey literature sourced from Google Scholar, government and organisational websites, policy statements, conference abstracts/papers and theses. The review will be conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Reviewer’s Manual for Evidence Synthesis Instructions for Scoping Reviews and be informed by the Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA ScR). The population, concept and context (PCC) format will help align the review question with the inclusion/exclusion criteria. The population are individuals diagnosed with FND presenting with speech and/ or language difficulties. The concepts are the assessment practices, tools, approaches, clinical observations and differential diagnosis procedures utilised by speech pathologist to evaluate and assess speech and language abilities. The Context is within the scope of speech pathology clinical practice (including hospitals, private practice, outpatient services and published research).