Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: overview and implications for practice

Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures are enigmatic disorders at the interface of neurology and psychiatry. Seizures resemble epileptic seizures but are not associated with electrical discharges in the brain. Symptoms typically start in early adulthood and women are far more affected than men. Video-EEG is widely considered to be the gold standard for diagnosis. Still psychogenic nonepileptic seizures are often misdiagnosed and treated as epilepsy for years that is burdensome to patients and costly to the healthcare system. Patients having psychogenic nonepileptic seizures show a high prevalence of traumatic life events, therefore, psychosocial factors are thought to play an important role in the etiology. Neurobiological factors may also contribute to the development of seizures as a subgroup of patients are characterized by cognitive impairment and subtle structural and functional brain abnormalities. Treatment includes psychotherapeutic procedures, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy and additional pharmacological interventions. This article presents an overview of the clinical context, diagnosis, etiology and treatment of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures.