Neurological science, careful diagnosis, movement-disorder expertise, and a commitment to taking symptoms seriously.
Neurologist · Researcher · Speaker
Neurology that sees the whole person.
Dr. Sarah Lidstone is a Toronto neurologist, neuroscientist, researcher, and speaker advancing a more integrated understanding of brain health, rehabilitation, and patient care.
Dr. Sarah Lidstone
Neurologist, researcher, educator, and speaker based in Toronto.
University Health Network
University of Toronto
Toronto Western Hospital
Toronto Rehabilitation Institute
Integrated Movement Disorders Program
Core Philosophy
The brain, mind, and body were never separate. Healthcare should not treat them that way.
The lived experience of illness, mental health, learning, expectation, confidence, and self-management.
Rehabilitation, movement, physiotherapy, practical recovery goals, and function in everyday life.
TEDxUofT
Challenging the false divide in healthcare
Published December 20, 2024
In this official TEDxUofT talk, Dr. Lidstone challenges the divide between neurology and psychiatry and explains why care that integrates brain, mind, and body can better support patients and clinicians.
Watch the Full TEDx TalkSelected Research
Research that moves care forward.
2025Integrated care
Integrated model of care for functional movement disorder: targeting brain, mind and body.
Disability and Rehabilitation
Describes an integrated care model for functional movement disorder that combines neurology, physiotherapy, and mental health-informed care.
2024Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation for Functional Dystonia: Cases and Review of the Literature.
Movement Disorders Clinical Practice
Reviews rehabilitation approaches for functional dystonia and illustrates how functional recovery can be addressed in practice.
2024Functional movement disorder
Factors Influencing Triage to Rehabilitation in Functional Movement Disorder.
Movement Disorders Clinical Practice
Explores how patients with functional movement disorder are triaged to rehabilitation, supporting more thoughtful care pathways.
2022Functional movement disorder
Functional movement disorder gender, age and phenotype study: a systematic review and individual patient meta-analysis of 4905 cases.
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
Uses a large individual-patient meta-analysis to clarify age, gender, and phenotype patterns in functional movement disorder.
Speaking
A clear voice for more human healthcare.
For healthcare conferences, academic institutions, leadership teams, patient organizations, media, podcasts, and medical education programs.
Challenging the false divide
A clear, evidence-led case for moving beyond the split between physical and mental health.
Functional neurological disorder
How integrated services can take symptoms seriously while supporting recovery-oriented care.
Parkinson's and whole-person neurology
What movement disorders teach us about multidisciplinary care, expectation, and lived experience.
Building integrated models
Practical lessons for multidisciplinary teams caring for complex neurological conditions.
Integrated Care
Better care begins when symptoms are treated seriously without false divisions.
Explore the accessible guide to brain, mind, body, multidisciplinary care, rehabilitation, education, and self-management.
Read the integrated care page