non epileptic

Psychiatry and Psychology are dropping the ball when it comes to psychogenic non epileptic seizures

Dr. Selim Benbadis published an excellent editorial article in the Neuropsychiatry Journal this year in which he called out both the American Psychological and American Psychiatric Association for the absence of information about Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (conversion disorders) they have on their sites. He pointed out that both associations have a plethora of mental health […]

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Could Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy be useful in treating psychogenic non-epileptic seizures?

Up to 90% of patients with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) report histories of significant trauma (often childhood sexual and physical abuse).  If we compare with control groups and the general US population, we find that in fact, patients with psychogenic non epileptic seizures have suffered more abuse than these other groups.   As for post-traumatic stress

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Psychogenic non epileptic seizures: are all patients diagnosed with PNES alike? Are there differences?

In order for psychotherapy to have any chance of working, the psychologist needs to have targets to work on and goals for change. The most obvious goal for change in PNES is for the behavioral episodes (i.e. non-epileptic seizures) to stop. In reality, there are a number of other important goals in treating PNES but

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Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures webinar in 2013-differences in opinions

About ten days ago I announced that we will be offering a psychogenic non-epileptic webinar in September of 2013. I received incredibly positive responses from patients, family members and a number of health professionals. But I was surprised to receive some unhappy comments from others in the medical profession. Today’s blog talks about some of

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Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures: what is neuropsychology showing us?

In December of 2012, the neuropsychology team from the Northeast Regional Epilepsy Group will present some interesting early findings about patients with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures as compared to patients with epilepsy. The study compared executive functions (planning and organizing, problem solving, attention, working memory, mental flexibility, set shifting) in patients with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES)

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Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures: stigma and strength in numbers

A few months back I wrote on my Navigating Epilepsy Blog about stigma in epilepsy. I’m writing on the same topic with regards to psychogenic non epileptic seizures because non-epileptic patients face this kind of stigma too. What is stigma?? According to www.dictionary.reference.com, it’s “a mark of disgrace; a stain or reproach, as on one’s

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Talking about Psychogenic Non Epileptic Seizures in Colombia (South America)

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of being invited to Colombia with two of my colleagues from the Northeast Regional Epilepsy Group to the XVth National Epilepsy Congress. I was asked to speak about psychogenic non –epileptic seizures and in today’s blog I would like to share the experience with you. The congress was

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Talking about psychogenic non epileptic seizures in Guadalajara, Mexico

Last week, I was invited to the Third International Neuropsychology conference in Guadalajara on Rehabilitation and Epilepsy. It gave me a wonderful opportunity to talk about a little known condition that is actually quite common in epilepsy centers: psychogenic non epileptic seizures.  The conference had drawn 500 attendees (psychology students, neuropsychologists and neurologists from all

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