title: Sociodemographics, clinical features, and psychiatric comorbidities of patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: experience at a specialized epilepsy center in Turkey.
abstract: Patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNESs) or pseudoseizures are known to have psychiatric comorbidities. In the present retrospective analysis, we examined the sociodemographics, clinical characteristics, and psychiatric diagnoses of patients with PNESs. Our aim is to demonstrate the contribution of the consulting psychiatrists to the presumed psychiatric diagnoses of the neurologists. We used data from long-term video EEG monitoring (LVEM) performed at a specialized epilepsy center in Turkey. The study group comprised 67 patients (mean age: 30 years, 75% female) diagnosed with PNESs following LVEM of approximately 5 days' duration. Two hundred thirty-three episodes were recorded. Most of the patients experienced a PNES on the first day. All of the patients were taking antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) at the time of admission; 56.7% were taking antidepressant (AD) drugs. All of the PNES patients were diagnosed with conversion disorder by both the neurologists and the psychiatrists. Most of the PNES patients were using multiple AEDs. Cooperation between neurologists and psychiatrists and ongoing education for both neurologists and psychiatrists about PNES are needed in appropriate diagnosing and management of patients with PNES.
authors: Uludag University Medical Faculty, Neurology Department, Bursa, Turkey. bora@uludag.edu.tr
authors: Ibrahim Hakki
authors: IH
authors: Bora
authors: Ozlem
authors: O
authors: Taskapilioglu
authors: Meral
authors: M
authors: Seferoglu
authors: Ozan Vahap
authors: OV
authors: Kotan
authors: Aylin
authors: A
authors: Bican
authors: Guven
authors: G
authors: Ozkaya
authors: Cengiz
authors: C
authors: Akkaya
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015897:Comorbidity; D003291:Conversion Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012640:Seizures / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000928:Antidepressive Agents