Best Approaches to Patients with Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures

Psychotherapy is helpful, but many patients don't follow through.

The diagnosis of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) is common in epilepsy centers and is a serious condition because these patients may have repeated trials of anticonvulsant medications and emergency department (ED) visits. Video-electroencephalography monitoring enables a definitive diagnosis, although all too commonly other physicians (especially psychiatrists) doubt the findings. Studies have demonstrated efficacy of psychotherapy. These researchers prospectively followed 105 patients with PNES at an academic center (white, 75%; women, 85%) who were referred for psychotherapy, either there or in the community (for patients already in therapy or living far away).

The researchers reported follow-up data (12–24 months) from 93 partici…

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

Best Approaches to Patients with Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures

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Reviewing Author