PSYCHOGENIC NONEPILEPTIC SEIZURES

Course overview

PSEUDOSEIZURES, PSYCHOGENIC SEIZURES, AND HYSTERICAL SEIZURES ARE OLDER TERMS USED TO DESCRIBE EVENTS THAT CLINICALLY RESEMBLE EPILEPTIC SEIZURES BUT OCCUR WITHOUT THE EXCESSIVE SYNCHRONOUS CORTICAL ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC ACTIVITY THAT DEFINES EPILEPTIC SEIZURES. COMMONLY USED CURRENT TERMS FOR THIS PHENOMENON ARE PSYCHOGENIC NONEPILEPTIC SPELLS OR SEIZURES (PNES), PSYCHOGENIC NONEPILEPTIC EPISODES (PNEE), OR PSYCHOGENIC NONEPILEPTIC ATTACKS. THESE TERMS REINFORCE THE IDEA THAT THE EVENTS ARE NOT EPILEPTIC SEIZURES AND ARE OF PSYCHIATRIC ORIGIN. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS HOW TO EVALUATE PSYCHOGENIC NONEPILEPTIC SPELLS PROPERLY AND OUTLINES FURTHER STEPS THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN WHEN SEIZURE-LIKE PRESENTATIONS ARE OBSERVED OR REPORTED. THIS ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH PSYCHOGENIC NONEPILEPTIC SPELLS.