title: Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures in Iran.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the demographic and clinical characteristics of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) in patients in Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective study, all patients with a clinical diagnosis of PNES (based on ictal recordings) were recruited at the outpatient epilepsy clinic at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, from 2008 through 2013. The epileptologist interviewed all the patients. We investigated the demographic and clinical characteristics of PNES.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred and forty-nine patients were diagnosed as having PNES. Two hundred and eleven patients had video-EEG recordings available and included in the study. One hundred and forty-one (66.8%) were female and 70 (33.2%) were male. There were no significant differences between our patients and previous reports regarding the clinical and semiological characteristics of PNES.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures are relatively common at epilepsy clinics. It appears that an Islamic lifestyle (in Iran) has little influence on the clinical characteristics and manifestations of PNES, as we observed similar results as in most previous studies from other cultures.
authors: Neurosciences Research Center, Shiraz Medical School, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran; Jefferson Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA. Electronic address: aliasadipooya@yahoo.com.
authors: Ali A
authors: AA
authors: Asadi-Pooya
authors: Neurosciences Research Center, Shiraz Medical School, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors: Yasaman
authors: Y
authors: Emami
authors: Neurosciences Research Center, Shiraz Medical School, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors: Mehrdad
authors: M
authors: Emami
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003291:Conversion Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012640:Seizures / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Iran; Manifestations; Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures