title: Natural history and outcome of psychogenic seizures: a clinical study in 50 patients.
abstract: The natural history and the outcome of psychogenic seizures was studied in 50 patients by retrospective analysis and follow-up after a mean of 2 years. Concomitant epilepsy was definite in only 8% and possible in 14%, while 50% took anticonvulsants. Overall, 66% of patients showed heterogeneous psychiatric abnormalities, most commonly a depressive syndrome (24%), whereas hysterical personality features were rare (8%). Forty-two percent of patients were unemployed. Follow-up of 41 patients (82%) showed that 34% had become seizure free. Outcome was poor in those with a long history of psychogenic seizures and pathological psychiatric findings. In contrast, almost all patients with recent onset of psychogenic seizures and normal psychological status had become seizure free. At follow-up, 56% of patients were found to be in a poor or very poor state, which resulted from a combination of physical, psychic and social problems in most cases.
authors.affiliation: Neurologische Universitätsklinik, Klinikum Grosshadern, Ludwig Maximilians Universität, München, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lempert
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003291:Conversion Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012640:Seizures / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class