Psychological characteristics of patients with newly developed psychogenic seizures.
OBJECTIVE
To assess psychopathological symptoms and history of childhood trauma in patients with newly developed psychogenic seizures.


METHODS
Using validated scales, 178 patients from the general population diagnosed with newly developed seizures were assessed, at a point in time when the nature of their seizures was yet unknown to either doctors or patients. After standardised neurological examination, 138 patients were diagnosed with non-psychogenic seizures (NPS), while 40 patients were found to have psychogenic seizures (PS). To evaluate possible differences between the genders and the diagnostic groups, univariate analyses of variance were done.


RESULTS
PS patients reported significantly more comorbid psychopathological complaints, dissociative experiences, anxiety, and self-reported childhood trauma than NPS patients. In addition, PS patients had lower quality of life ratings than NPS patients. These effects were not modulated by gender.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of the present study indicate that patients with newly developed PS constitute a group with complex psychopathological features that warrant early detection and treatment.
van Merode
T
T
Department of General Practice, Maastricht University, the Netherlands. Tiny.vanMerode@hag.unimaas.nl
Twellaar
M
M
Kotsopoulos
I A W
IA
Kessels
A G H
AG
Merckelbach
H
H
de Krom
M C T F M
MC
Knottnerus
J A
JA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012640:Seizures / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000523:psychology*