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Despite the high incidence and disabling nature of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES), little is known about effective treatments, perhaps in part because PNES are multifactorial and heterogeneous in cause and clinical presentation (Ann Neurol 2003; 53:305, Neuropsychiatry Neuropsychol Behav Neurol 1998; 11:225, and Epilepsy Res 2003; 57:159). To assess the extent to which sertraline treatment might reduce the frequency of PNES, in preparation for a full-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT), researchers randomized 38 patients to sertraline (dose-escalated up to 200 mg daily) or placebo for 12 weeks. The primary outcome measure in this pilot trial was reduction in mean seizure frequency.
Among the 33 patients with nonzero baseline se…