Sociodemographics, clinical features, and psychiatric comorbidities of patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: experience at a specialized epilepsy center in Turkey

Seizure. 2011 Jul;20(6):458-61. doi: 10.1016/j.seizure.2011.02.007. Epub 2011 Mar 23.

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.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Ambulatory Care Facilities
  • Anticonvulsants / therapeutic use
  • Antidepressive Agents / therapeutic use
  • Comorbidity
  • Conversion Disorder / complications*
  • Conversion Disorder / epidemiology
  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
  • Drug Resistance
  • Electroencephalography
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mental Disorders / complications*
  • Mental Disorders / epidemiology
  • Middle Aged
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Seizures / classification
  • Seizures / complications*
  • Seizures / epidemiology
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Turkey / epidemiology
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Anticonvulsants
  • Antidepressive Agents