title: Using personality disorders to distinguish between patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures and those with epileptic seizures.
abstract: Identifying psychiatric disorders rather than psychiatric symptoms might help to distinguish patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) from those with epileptic seizures (ES). Patients with PNES (n=35), patients with ES (n=35), and healthy controls (n=37) were compared with respect to the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in this study. We tested the predictive power of having axis I psychiatric disorders, as well as personality disorders, in distinguishing ES from PNES. There was no significant difference between the patient groups in the prevalence of axis I psychiatric disorders. Personality disorders were more prevalent in the PNES group than in the ES group (P<0.05). Having a personality disorder was the only predictor for the PNES group. Having a personality disorder seems to be a more significant predictor for PNES than having an axis I psychiatric disorder. Greater attention should be paid to personality disorders in the differentiation of PNES and ES and the provision of effective treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. n.direk@erasmusmc.nl
authors.forename: Nese
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Direk
authors.forename: Isin Baral
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Kulaksizoglu
authors.forename: Kadriye
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alpay
authors.forename: Candan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gurses
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D012016:Reference Values; D012640:Seizures / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*