title: Short-term outcome of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures after communication of the diagnosis.
abstract: We previously described a communication strategy for the delivery of the diagnosis of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) that was acceptable and effective at communicating the psychological cause of PNES. This prospective multicenter study describes the short-term seizure and psychosocial outcomes after the communication of the diagnosis and with no additional treatment. Participants completed self-report measures at baseline, two and six months after the diagnosis (seizure frequency, HRQoL, health care utilization, activity levels, symptom attributions and levels of functioning). Thirty-six participants completed the self-report questionnaires. A further eight provided seizure frequency data. After six months, the median seizure frequency had dropped from 10 to 7.5 per month (p=0.9), 7/44 participants (16%) were seizure-free, and an additional 10/44 (23%) showed greater than 50% improvement in seizure frequency. Baseline questionnaire measures demonstrated high levels of impairment, which had not improved at follow-up. The lack of change in self-report measures illustrates the need for further interventions in this patient group.
authors.affiliation: Academic Neurology Unit, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK. r.j.mayor@sheffield.ac.uk
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mayor
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cock
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: House
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Howlett
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singhal
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reuber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012008:Recurrence; D012640:Seizures / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires