Benefits of Diagnosing Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures

After diagnosis, patients use less medicine, have less treatment, and start working.

Recently, quality of life in patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) was shown to correlate with depression, not seizure frequency (JW Psychiatry Aug 31 2009). This new study examines outcomes of 260 consecutive patients 12 months after being diagnosed with PNES.

Most patients were women (75%); 72% had at least one follow-up visit. After PNES diagnosis, seizure frequency significantly diminished: 38% of patients had no episodes for 2 months, and another 23% had at least a 50% reduction in frequency. Among those still having episodes, mean monthly episodes increased from 24 to 43. Fewer patients used antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) (from 52% to 13%) or emergency services (from 50% to 16%); even among patients with continued episodes…

Reviewing Author

Jonathan Silver, MD

Disclosures

RoyaltiesTextbook of Traumatic Brain Injury, 2nd and 3rd editions

Editorial BoardsUpToDate; Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesNorth American Brain Injury Association (Board Member); National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (Chair of Data Monitoring Safety Board for study of donepezil on cognition after traumatic brain injury)

Jonathan Silver, MD

Disclosures

RoyaltiesTextbook of Traumatic Brain Injury, 2nd and 3rd editions

Editorial BoardsUpToDate; Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience