title: Predictive factors for outcome of nonepileptic seizures after diagnosis.
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess prognosis among adult patients with nonepileptic seizures (NES) and to determine predictor variables for resolution of NES after diagnosis. Six to 9 months after receiving a video-EEG-documented diagnosis of NES, 43 adults responded by telephone interview to a detailed, structured questionnaire probing history of the episodes, psychiatric factors, socioeconomic variables, relationships, reactions to receiving the diagnosis, and potential history of litigation. At follow-up, only 18.6% were episode-free, 55.8% had improved, 16.3% reported no change, and 9.3% reported greater frequency of episodes. Patients who reported having many friends currently or having good relationships with friends as a child were significantly more likely to be episode-free. Subjects with pending litigation were significantly less likely to experience a reduction in episodes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, State University of New York at Stony Brook, USA.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Ettinger
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dhoon
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Weisbrot
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Devinsky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012640:Seizures / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index