CORA
Cork Open Research Archive (CORA) is UCC’s Open Access institutional repository which enables UCC researchers to make their research outputs freely available and accessible.
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“Sometimes it can be really hard for people to understand”: exploring clinical features and lived experiences of Paediatric Functional Neurological Disorder
(University College Cork, 2026-05-05) Barrett, Elizabeth; Keating, Kim; O'Keeffe, Fiadhnait; Lally, Nicola; Health Service Executive
Objective: Paediatric Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is a complex and heterogeneous condition associated with significant disruption to young people and their families. This thesis aimed to develop a broader understanding of paediatric FND within an Irish tertiary hospital setting by examining both clinically documented presentations and lived experiences. Study 1 aimed to characterise the clinical and psychosocial profile of paediatric patients with FND and explore how findings could be organised using a 5 P’s formulation framework. Study 2 aimed to explore the lived experiences of adolescents with FND and their parents, with attention to diagnostic understanding, healthcare experiences, and the impact of FND on daily and family life.
Methods: Study 1 used an exploratory retrospective file review of 33 paediatric patients aged 0-18 years with a documented diagnosis of FND. Data were extracted from paper and electronic medical records using a structured data extraction tool. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise demographic and clinical characteristics, while quantitative content analysis was applied to protective factors. Findings were organised within a 5 P’s formulation framework. Study 2 used Multi-perspectival Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (MIPA). Four adolescents aged 13–17 years with FND and six parents were recruited through a tertiary paediatric service. Semi-structured interviews were conducted separately with adolescents and parents and analysed idiographically before examining convergence and divergence across perspectives.
Results: Study 1 identified a heterogeneous clinical profile. Functional motor symptoms and functional seizures were the most common presentations, and over one-third of patients presented with multiple FND symptom types. High rates of co-occurring medical conditions, somatic symptoms, mental health difficulties, and neurodevelopmental diagnoses or queries were documented. Stressful life events and previous illness or injury were commonly recorded as precipitating factors, while perpetuating factors were less consistently documented. Protective factors were identified across individual, family, and social domains, including parental support, engagement in activities, peer relationships, and treatment engagement. Study 2 identified seven Group Experiential Themes (GETs) across adolescent and parent accounts. Adolescents described trying to understand an unclear diagnosis, feeling dismissed or unsupported, and experiencing disruption to school, peer relationships, and independence. Parents described distress, uncertainty, advocacy, hypervigilance, and adaptations to family life and parenting roles. Across both groups, shared experiences included diagnostic uncertainty, feeling dismissed within healthcare encounters, and disruption to everyday life, although these were experienced differently by adolescents and parents.
Conclusions: Together, the findings demonstrate that paediatric FND is best understood as a complex biopsychosocial condition involving interacting clinical, developmental, emotional, family, and social factors. Study 1 highlights the value of organising heterogeneous clinical information within a structured biopsychosocial formulation framework, while also identifying gaps in the documentation of perpetuating and protective factors. Study 2 adds depth by showing how FND is experienced and negotiated within everyday and family life. Overall, the thesis highlights the importance of clear diagnostic communication, validation of symptoms, collaborative formulation, and family-focused, multidisciplinary care. Future research should further examine perpetuating and protective factors, neurodevelopmental influences, longitudinal outcomes, and the impact of formulation-informed interventions in paediatric FND.
Dynamic reconfiguration of a floating vertical axis wind turbine driven by progressive mooring stiffness degradation
(2026-11-13) Liu, Qingsong; Huang, Haoda; Iglesias, Gregorio; Horizon Europe
Mooring systems are essential to the station-keeping and operational safety of floating wind turbines. However, how progressive mooring stiffness degradation affects platform dynamics and rotor performance before failure remains poorly understood. This study develops a coupled computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and finite element method (FEM) framework for a three-bladed floating vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) on the DeepCwind semisubmersible platform from the Offshore Code Comparison Collaboration Continuation (OC4) project. STAR-CCM+ resolves rotor aerodynamics using an overset mesh, while ABAQUS/AQUA computes platform hydrodynamics, flexible-beam mooring responses and seabed contact. Six computational branches are generated from the same converged intact state by smoothly reducing the effective axial stiffness of either mooring line 1 (ML1) or mooring line 2 (ML2) by 30%, 60% and 90%, representing mild, moderate and severe stiffness loss in this study. Mean horizontal offset, six-degree-of-freedom motion statistics and top-tension statistics for all three mooring lines reveal nonlinear system reconfiguration. Horizontal migration remains limited at 30% and 60% stiffness loss but exceeds 5 m at 90% loss. Its magnitude reflects degradation severity, whereas its direction depends on the degraded line through changes in horizontal restoring-force balance. Motion changes are selective, with amplified sway and yaw but limited changes in heave and pitch. Platform re-equilibration modifies catenary geometry and redistributes mooring loads. Consequently, system-wide mean unloading can coexist with increased cyclic tension in intact lines, and the largest cyclic response does not necessarily occur at the greatest stiffness loss. Despite this dynamic reconfiguration, the mean power coefficient and thrust remain within 1% of their intact values over 200 to 500 s under prescribed-speed operation. Apparently stable aerodynamic performance can therefore conceal a markedly altered platform-mooring dynamic state. Condition monitoring should combine aerodynamic output with equilibrium position, platform motion and multi-line tension indicators.
Grief across bonds: impact of human and dog bereavement on people with borderline personality disorder
(University College Cork, 2026-04-28) Kavanagh, Keeva; Murphy, Mike; Mccusker, Chris; Brennan, John; Health Service Executive
Background: Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is also referred to as Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD). From this point forward, it will be referred to solely as BPD, as much of the literature continues to use this terminology, and the ICD-11 removed the term EUPD. BPD is a form of personality disorder that impacts a person in a range of ways, including emotional regulation, sense of self and identity formation, mood instability, and impulsive behaviours. It can also impact interpersonal relationships, for example, an intense fear of abandonment. Some research has suggested that people with BPD may form easier attachments with animals, due to the perception of them providing non-judgmental and unconditional support. Bereavement, while a normative part of life, is one of life’s most stressful events and can impact a person’s wellbeing with increased anxiety, low mood, and an impaired sense of self. Despite the known interpersonal difficulties for those with BPD, very little research has been conducted to understand the impact of bereavement on those with BPD and even less on the impact of the death of a dog. Therefore, this thesis aimed to produce a synthesis of the available literature on this area and explore the perceived impact of dog bereavement.
Method: As there has never been a review completed in this area, it was felt that a scoping review would be most appropriate to gain clarity on the level and type of research that has been conducted in this area, and to produce a narrative synthesis of this literature. Study two aimed to address the gap within the literature, exploring the perceived impact of dog bereavement on this population. Participants were recruited through community recruitment through advertisements online on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Four participants completed semi-structured, online interviews. Data was analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).
Results: 10 papers were identified for inclusion in the scoping review. An important finding of this review was the lack of research, particularly empirical research, exploring the impact of bereavement on people with BPD. However, results from this review indicated that people experience an increase in BPD symptomology, such as impulsive behaviours and impacted interpersonal relationships. Furthermore, it highlighted the increased risk for symptomology in the immediate aftermath of the bereavement. The findings also indicate that there can be a re-emergence of BPD in later adulthood due to normative but stressful life experiences such as bereavement. However, further research is required to understand the impact of bereavement on this population fully. The empirical study further supported this argument that bereavement can impact BPD symptomology. The participants spoke of their experience of emotional dysregulation, fear of suicidality and dissociation following the death of their dogs. This study highlighted the connection between humans and dogs, and the role they provided for people with BPD, such as consistency, support, and regulation. However, following the death, the loss of this impacted their sense of self. An interesting finding was post-traumatic growth, whereby the participants identified new roles or confidence in their abilities to manage life stressors following the bereavement.
Conclusions: Further research is needed to gain a full understanding of the impact of bereavement on people with BPD. However, the results from this thesis suggest that people with BPD will experience increased symptomology following a bereavement, particularly in the immediate aftermath. This highlights the need for increased support during this time. It also demonstrated the important role a dog can play in the management of BPD, and it is important that clinicians are aware of the significant impact their deaths may have on a client’s well-being.
Synthesis and reactions of α-diazophosphonates in batch and continuous flow; Application to the synthesis of compounds with potential antiviral activity
(University College Cork, 2026-08-19) Lynch, Orla M.; Maguire, Anita; Collins, Stuart; Irish Research Council; Higher Education Authority; Eli Lilly and Company
The research described in this thesis investigated the application of continuous-flow chemistry to the safe and efficient synthesis of phosphorus-containing diazo compounds and their use in the preparation of key intermediates for α-carboxynucleoside phosphonates (α-CNPs). The work focused on developing flow-based strategies for diazo transfer and rhodium catalysed O-H and C-H insertion transformations, with the aim of improving reaction safety and efficiency relative to conventional batch methods.
Chapter One provides a review of recent relevant literature including the application of continuousflow processing for the safe and efficient generation and use of diazo compounds focusing in particular on how flow technology enables the in-situ formation and immediate consumption of highly reactive species, reducing the risks associated with their isolation, handling, and scale-up. In addition, a summary of organophosphorus chemistry in flow and nucleoside synthesis in continuous flow is included to provide context for the research described in Chapters Two and Three.
Chapter Two describes the synthesis of α-CNPs incorporating both natural and unnatural nucleobases, including fluorinated derivatives of potential biological relevance. Key advances include the optimisation of diazo transfer and rhodium-catalysed O–H insertion reactions in batch with a view to translating to continuous-flow conditions described in Chapter Three. Application of these methods to the synthesis of both saturated and unsaturated α-CNP analogues was successfully achieved. The feasibility of extending these approaches to acyclic systems was also explored. Selected compounds were submitted to collaborators for biological evaluation in order to assess their activity against
extracellular cancer targets and viral enzymes.
Chapter Three describes for the first time the successful translation of diazo transfer to phosphonoacetates and β-ketophosphonates to continuous-flow, and downstream reactivity of these derivatives in O-H and C-H insertion reactions. The key outcomes include the development of efficient and safe flow protocols for diazo transfer to phosphonate substrates, despite their relatively low acidity, and assessment of their compatibility with telescoped rhodium catalysed transformations. Strategies to enable telescoping, are discussed in detail including the use of immobilised azide sources and in-line analytical techniques, to address challenges associated with reagent compatibility, solubility, and by-product formation.
Chapters Two and Three contain, in addition to the results and discussion, the full experimental details and spectroscopic characterisation of compounds synthesised in this work.
Chapter Four summarises the key outcomes from the research. Overall, diazo transfer to phosphonates has been successfully achieved in flow and the potential to telescope this with their subsequent transformations has been demonstrated. By integrating hazardous reagent generation with downstream reactivity, this work provides a foundation for the development of safer, scalable, and more efficient synthetic routes to complex organophosphorus-containing molecules with potential biological relevance
Sense and sensibility in Universal Design for Neuroinclusion
(Design for All Institute of India, 2026-09-01) Dalton, Cathy
Design for Neurodiversity, perhaps better described as “Design for Neuroinclusion” is in the welcome process of going “mainstream”. It is an important moment for architects and designers to pause and reflect on what “neurodiversity” means, and exactly who and what we are designing for.