Abandoning the term “psychogenic nonepileptic seizures” (PNES) in favor of “functional (dissociative) seizures” or simply “functional seizures” needs to be examined. We need to consider possible unintended negative consequences of this name change. My sense of urgency comes from a troubling scenario I foresee. Read on and feel free to challenge me on this or […]
Choosing “functional seizures” over PNES: what might happen Read More »
A recent ILAE Task Force proposal (Hingray et al., 2025) recommends replacing the term “psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES)” with “functional/dissociative seizures (F/DS)” arguing that some experts feel that PNES lacks acceptability and that many patients reject it. Which Experts?It is unclear what experts the authors are referring to since the Task Force did not consult
The three items listed in the title of this blog post might seem unrelated but they were part of an article that was published last month. The article drew some useful and thought-provoking conclusions that might be useful for clinicians working with PNES. The study described in “Characteristics of patients diagnosed with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures
Driving, depression, and psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) Read More »
Several times a month, I receive inquiries from psychotherapists who are working with their very first patient diagnosed with PNES or who have run into something unexpected. These therapists have shown initiative by taking to the internet to find resources, which is a great sign. Somehow, they managed to come upon my name and email.
