The spectrum of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures and comorbidities seen in an epilepsy monitoring unit.
We sought to study characteristics of patients presenting with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES), with and without major psychiatric comorbidity. A total of 39 patients who were diagnosed with PNES in a tertiary care setting were studied, and those patients with and without axis I psychiatric disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) were compared. The mean time in confirming the diagnosis was 9 years. More than half the patients were taking anti-epileptic medications when they presented for video-electroencephalographic monitoring. The mean monitoring time required to capture a PNES was 0.6 days. Comorbid chronic medical conditions were found in 38.5% and axis I-psychiatric diagnoses in 48.7%. There were no significant differences in characteristics between those with and without major psychiatric comorbidities.
Department of Neuroscience, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. u.seneviratne@alfred.org.au
Udaya
U
Seneviratne
Belinda
B
Briggs
David
D
Lowenstern
Wendyl
W
D'Souza
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015897:Comorbidity; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D012640:Seizures / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D014743:Videotape Recording; D055815:Young Adult