Abstract Details

Title Characteristics and Long-Term Prognosis of Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures in Patients with and without Epilepsy

Topic Epilepsy

Presentation(s) P03 - (-)

Poster/Presentation
Number 141

Objective

Background BACKGROUND: Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) may resemble epileptic events. Epileptic and non-epileptic seizures are not mutually exclusive phenomena and may coexist in the same patient.

Design/Methods DESIGN/METHODS: All adult admissions to the Tel-Aviv Medical Center vEEG Unit between 2004-2009 were screened for the presence of PNES. We retrospectively retrieved data from their medical files, and assessed their prognosis by a telephonic questionnaire on seizure frequency. Eligible patients were further divided into those with epilepsy (PNES+EPI) and those without epilepsy (PNES).

Results RESULTS: Forty-two patients were enrolled in the study, 22 with PNES and 20 with PNES+EPI. The follow-up period was 58.1±27 and 52.9±14 months, respectively. Both groups had similar female predominance (72% and 85%, respectively) and similar age at admission (38±3.2 and 37±3.4 years, respectively). The interval between the first appearance of PNES and admission to vEEG was 5.1±1.4 years for the PNES+EPI patients and 9.3±3.1 years for the NES patients. About 70% in each group reported a major stressful event in their lifetime. Additionally, 41% PNES patients and 55% PNES+EPI patients had a psychiatric diagnosis (p=0.05). PNES patients tended to more frequently exhibit non-epileptic features (e.g., opisthotonus, eye closure, etc.) during their attacks compared to PNES+EPI patients. All psychogenic events had ceased completely during the follow-up period in 18% of the PNES patients and 50% of the PNES+EPI patients (p=0.049).

Conclusions CONCLUSIONS: Both study groups shared similar frequencies of stressful events, but more patients with epilepsy were diagnosed with psychiatric illness than those without epilepsy. Following vEEG-based diagnosis of PNES, the long-term prognosis of PNES cessation was more favorable for patients with epilepsy than patients without epilepsy.

Authors/Disclosures
Ofer Sadan PRESENTER	Ofer Sadan has received intellectual property interests from a discovery or technology relating to health care.
Miri Y. Neufeld, MD	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file

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