title: Clinicians' views on antiepileptic medication management in nonepileptic seizures.
abstract: Discontinuation of antiepileptic drugs should be a first step in treatment of nonepileptic seizures without comorbid epilepsy. However, clinical practices vary and standardized guidelines are not available. The aim of this study was to survey members of the American Epilepsy and Child Neurology Societies about factors that influence their decision about antiepileptic drug management in patients with nonepileptic seizures. A total of 236 respondents completed this survey, of whom 84% were academic pediatric neurologists and 96.2% were very willing to discontinue antiepileptic drugs in these patients. Clinicians with sufficient knowledge about nonepileptic seizures had fewer concerns about the potential for medical errors, were less influenced by requests made by patients or parents to continue antiepileptic drugs, and were comfortable making this decision if patients receive ongoing psychiatric care. Results of this survey highlight the need to examine if the same factors are involved in a large sample of community clinicians.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA splioply@luriechildrens.org.
authors.forename: Sigita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Plioplys
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, UCLA Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Prabha
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Siddarth
authors.affiliation: Division of Child Neurology, Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Miya R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Asato
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, UCLA Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Rochelle
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caplan
mesh_terms: D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003625:Data Collection; D003657:Decision Making; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants
keywords: antiepileptic drugs; child neurologists; epilepsy; nonepileptic seizures; survey; treatment