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Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures mimicking gelastic seizures: A description of two cases.

ABSTRACT: Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) are sudden, involuntary seizure-like attacks that, unlike epileptic seizures, are not related to electrographic ictal discharges and are psychological in nature. Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures presenting symptoms mimic a wide array of nervous system dysfunctions, as they involve changes in behavior, motor activity, sensation, cognitive, and autonomic functions. Spontaneous paroxysms of laughing resembling gelastic seizure have only exceptionally been reported as main symptom of PNES. Here, we describe the cases of two patients with a prolonged history of laughter attacks mistaken for epilepsy and unresponsive to AED treatment. Brain MRI and interictal EEG were unremarkable. Video-EEG monitoring allowed us to document the spontaneous and suggestion-induced habitual episodes that were then diagnosed as PNES.

SUBMITTER: Mascia A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4543217 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures mimicking gelastic seizures: A description of two cases.

Mascia Addolorata A Quarato Pier Paolo PP D'Aniello Alfredo A Di Gennaro Giancarlo G

Epilepsy & behavior case reports 20150815

Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) are sudden, involuntary seizure-like attacks that, unlike epileptic seizures, are not related to electrographic ictal discharges and are psychological in nature. Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures presenting symptoms mimic a wide array of nervous system dysfunctions, as they involve changes in behavior, motor activity, sensation, cognitive, and autonomic functions. Spontaneous paroxysms of laughing resembling gelastic seizure have only exceptionally been r ...[more]

PMID: 27195218

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Pilot pharmacologic randomized controlled trial for psychogenic nonepileptic seizures.

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| S-EPMC3013487 | biostudies-literature

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: a pilot RCT.

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| S-EPMC2905892 | biostudies-literature

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| S-EPMC5572831 | biostudies-literature

Case report on psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: A series of unfortunate events

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| S-EPMC9552981 | biostudies-literature

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| S-EPMC7495430 | biostudies-literature

Reliability of reported peri-ictal behavior to identify psychogenic nonepileptic seizures.

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| S-EPMC6526032 | biostudies-literature

Review-of-systems questionnaire as a predictive tool for psychogenic nonepileptic seizures.

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Potential use of leukocytosis and anion gap elevation in differentiating psychogenic nonepileptic seizures from epileptic seizures.

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| S-EPMC6398111 | biostudies-literature

The Personality Assessment Inventory as a tool for diagnosing psychogenic nonepileptic seizures.

Project description:Using 184 subjects with valid personality assessment interview (PAI) profiles and video-electroencephalography (VEEG)-confirmed diagnoses of epileptic seizures (ES; n = 109) or psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES; n = 75), we present the diagnostic test performance of the PAI PNES Indicator and other PAI scales when used to differentiate PNES from ES. Subjects with PNES reported significantly higher somatic, conversion, depressed, anxious, and suicidal symptoms. As a diagnostic tool, the PNES Indicator does not add additional accuracy beyond the conversion subscale (SOM-C). The somatization (SOM-S) and physiological depression (DEP-P) subscales perform as well as the SOM-C subscale. The SOM-C scale (cut point > or =70) was 58.7% sensitive and 83.5% specific at diagnosing PNES. Assuming a 30% prevalence of PNES, the SOM-C scale has a positive predictive value (PPV) of 60.4% and negative predictive value (NPV) of 82.5%. Overall, the PAI SOM-C subscale does not appear more accurate than other psychometric tests used to differentiate PNES from ES.

| S-EPMC2844915 | biostudies-other

Long-term surgery outcome for epilepsy and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures in a child with anterior cingulate gyrus dysplasia.

Project description:We present the case of a 13-year-old child with nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy (NFLE) related to a right cingulate gyrus cortical dysplasia, who also presented with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) and interictal antisocial behavior. The association of drug-resistant epilepsy with behavioral disorders is well established, but the role of epilepsy surgery in these patients is still controversial, especially in children. The key finding is represented by the excellent long-term outcome on both epilepsy and behavioral dysfunction after the surgical excision of the cingulate gyrus cortical dysplasia.

| S-EPMC4353580 | biostudies-literature

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