*PhD Studentship * University of Sheffield, Department of Neurology *Qualification:*PhD *Funding for:*UK Students, EU Students *Hours*: Full Time Duration – three years *Project Description*** This 3-year PhD project will comprise of a number of studies, which will advance our understanding of the role of emotion regulation in patients with functional neurological symptoms (FNS). This understanding will have direct effects on the treatment of FNS. The PhD project will be based in the Department of Neurology at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital and in the recently established “Developmental Affective Neuroscience <http://levita-lab.group.shef.ac.uk/>” lab at the University of Sheffield led by Dr Liat Levita.** Functional neurological symptoms refer to neurological symptoms that are not explained by disease. They may also be called psychogenic, non-organic, somatoform, dissociative or conversion symptoms. The most common functional neurological symptoms are non-epileptic attacks and functional weakness.FNS make up about 20% of referrals to neurologists. This means that FNS are more common than conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis or Parkinson's Disease. About 50% of patients with functional neurological symptoms (FNS) have nonepileptic attacks (NEA). Despite the fact that FNS are common, the underlying causes of FNS remain uncertain. The current biopsychosocial aetiological model recognises a range of interacting predisposing, precipitating and perpetuating factors in which trauma and chronic stress and their effects on patients' ability to perceive their own distress and regulate their emotions play a key role. The improvement of emotion regulation is an important aspect of all of psychotherapies available for FNS. However, it remains unclear why patients with similar backgrounds may develop different FNS (for instance muscle weakness vs. NEA). What is more, previous work carried out by the applicants also shows that clear evidence of emotional dysregulation can only be identified in about 50% of patients. Another large patient group is characterised by higher somatisation scores but a relatively normal ability to feel and perceive emotions, emotion regulation and psychopathology. *Aims:*This projects aims to determine whether psychotherapy-associated improvements in functioning, health-related quality of life and distress are associated with changes in self-reported emotional processing in patients with FNS. It will also examine whether differences in emotion regulation patterns explain why different patients develop different functional symptoms. And finally this PhD project will explore whether FNS patients with normal self-reported emotional processing are regulating emotions normally or effectively (and pathologically) repressing emotions. * * *Suitable candidates* This project would suit a psychology, neuroscience or biomedical science graduate with an interest in clinical research and the neurobiology of emotion regulation. The PhD student would be jointly supervised by Professor Markus Reuber (Neurology), Ms Stephanie Howlett (Psychotherapy) and Dr Liat Levita (Psychology). *Enquiries* Interested candidates should in the first instance contact: Professor Markus Reuber (0114 2268763, m.reuber(a)sheffield.ac.uk <mailto:m.reuber@sheffield.ac.uk>) or Liat Levita (0114 2226651, l.levita(a)sheffield.ac.uk <mailto:l.levita@sheffield.ac.uk>). For more information and how to apply: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/faculty/medicine-dentistry-health/graduateschool…