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Query: UMLS:C0036572 (seizures)
 80,221 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The aim of this study was twofold: 1 - to identify a psychological profile of patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNESs) that is possibly distinct from that of subjects affected by epileptic seizures (ESs) alone; 2 - to detect the possible differences between the clinical features and psychological profile of patients affected by PNESs alone and those of subjects in whom PNESs are associated with epileptic seizures (ES/PNES patients). We assessed the psychological profiles of 2 different groups of subjects. The first group was of 38 patients who had all developed PNESs after epileptic seizures (ES\PNES, group 1). The second group was of 31 patients with PNESs alone (PNES, group 2). We compared the psychological findings of each of these 2 groups with those of 2 control groups, composed of patients who matched groups 1 and 2 for sex, age, and educational level, but who were affected only by ESs (groups 1C and 2C). Finally, we considered possible differences between the ictal symptoms and signs of PNESs occurring in ES/PNES and in PNES patients. Both the ES/PNES group and the PNES group revealed higher percentages of Somatoform Disorders and Cluster B Personality Disorders (DSM-III-R diagnoses) than the ES patients in the control groups. The scores obtained on the Psychophysiological Distress Scale of the Cognitive Behavioural Assessment Battery (CBA) followed the same pattern. Among PNES ictal phenomena, autonomic symptoms and signs were significantly more frequent in the PNES than in the ES/PNES group. The occurrence of PNESs mimicking generalised tonic-clonic ESs (GTC-PNESs) was significantly associated with a low academic level. The results of this study suggest that the patients with PNESs alone and those affected by PNESs and ESs share the same psychological profile, which is different from that of patients with ESs alone. However, some differences between ES/PNES and PNES patients were found in the clinical semiology of their PNESs. Our findings could have implications for the diagnosis and for the treatment of patients with PNESs.
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PMID:Patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures, alone or epilepsy-associated, share a psychological profile distinct from that of epilepsy patients. 1263 26

We investigated a series of patients with epileptic psychosis in Brazil and compared our findings with those of other authors. We evaluated 38 outpatients with epileptic psychosis with a semistructured clinical interview, Annett inventory for hand dominance, international classifications for seizures and syndromes, and DSM-IV for psychosis diagnoses. We studied course and outcome for epilepsy and psychosis. Gender distribution was approximately even. Epilepsy and psychiatric disorders among relatives and early CNS insults in personal histories were frequent findings. Mean age of epilepsy onset was 9.3 years. Epilepsy started before psychosis in all cases, and evolved to clinical refractoriness. There was a predominance of temporal lobe epilepsy. Mean age of psychosis onset was 27.4 years, after a mean duration of epilepsy of 18.1 years, with predominance of schizophrenic presentations with interictal onset, frequent psychiatric admissions, suicide attempts, and postpsychosis functional decline. Tumors or lesions of an embryologic nature were uncommon, but mesial temporal sclerosis was frequent.
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PMID:Clinical aspects of epileptic psychosis in Brazil. 1269 37

This report describes the successful treatment of a patient suffering from an episode of drug-resistant major depression using magnetic seizure therapy (MST). The patient suffered from recurrent major depression since adolescence. MST is a novel brain stimulation method using transcranial magnetic stimulation at convulsive parameters in order to induce therapeutic seizures under general anesthesia in the same setting used for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The first use of therapeutic magnetic seizure induction in a psychiatric patient took place at the University Hospital in Bern, Switzerland, in May 2000. Results of a recent randomized, within-subject, double-masked trial comparing ECT and MST in 10 patients indicate that MST appears to have less subjective and objective side effects, is associated with faster recovery of orientation, and is superior to ECT on measures of attention, retrograde amnesia, and category fluency. ECT has an unparalleled and well-documented efficacy in severe depression but is associated with cognitive side effects. MST is currently under study in several centers with respect to its antidepressant efficacy. We report here on the treatment of a patient with refractory major depression (DSM IV-R), who underwent a series of 12 sessions of MST in an inpatient setting. Baseline Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HRSD-21) of 33 and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) of 40 decreased to 6 and 11 respectively, 1 week after completion of the MST trial. Measures of cognitive functions support the hypothesis that MST is associated with a less severe profile of cognitive side effects. [(99m)Tc]-HMPAO SPECT studies (baseline and 4 days after the completion of the MST trial) point to a raise of blood flow at baseline in the left fronto-parietal region and the brainstem. Our preliminary data support the prospect of antidepressant efficacy of MST and point to a benign cognitive side-effect profile in a patient suffering from severe treatment-resistant major depression.
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PMID:Magnetic seizure therapy improves mood in refractory major depression. 1294 46

Four subtypes of conversion disorder were described in DSM-IV. There are few publications concerning studies aimed at separating the subtypes of the conversion disorder. Usually, pseudoseizures are in focus and attempts are made to differentiate these seizures from other disorders. The aim of the present study has been to investigate differences between the four subtypes of the conversion disorder and to discuss the possibilities for a reclassification. Ninety-five patients were seen by two researchers and diagnosed as conversion disorders. The subtypes were determined according to DSM-IV criteria. All completed the Patients Information Form, developed by the researchers, and the Dissociative Experience Scale (DES). Twenty-four (25.2%) of the patients had motor symptoms or deficits (Type 1), 5 (5.2%) sensory symptoms or deficits (Type 2), 23 (24.2%) seizures or convulsions (Type 3) and 43 (47.3%) had mixed presentations (Type 4). There were statistically significant differences between the subtypes as concerns occupation, family history of psychiatric disorders, hospitalizations and place of settlement. Furthermore, the DES scores were statistically different between the groups of patients with different subtypes of conversion disorder.
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PMID:Conversion disorder and its subtypes: a need for a reclassification. 1452 3

The aim of this study was to examine clinical characteristics in patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures and to analyze the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) profiles and their relation to psychopathology. Thirty patients with nonepileptic seizures confirmed through video-electroencephalography were included. A structured clinical interview (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R), a measure of personality variables (MMPI), and several structured interviews designed for collecting data on clinical and personal history were administered. Descriptive and comparative statistical methods were used. Of the sample, 67.7% met criteria for two or more simultaneous Axis I diagnoses, and 60% for an Axis II personality disorder. The most frequently elevated scales of the MMPI were Schizophrenia and Depression. There were multiple scale elevations in 12 profiles, the 91.7% of which had elevated "neurotic" and "psychotic" scales. The subgroup with personality disorders showed higher scores on the MMPI Paranoia and Hypomania scales, and the subgroup with traumatic experiences showed higher scores on the MMPI Hypomania scale. Our sample comprising patients with nonepileptic seizures showed a significant degree of psychopathology and absence of a unique character substrate. According to grades of clinical severity of pseudoseizures, several subgroups and different therapeutic implications may be defined.
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PMID:Psychiatric disorders, trauma, and MMPI profile in a Spanish sample of nonepileptic seizure patients. 1523 27

The authors describe a clinical trial of 170 patients who received clozapine over a ten year period between September 1989 and September 1999. It is a retrospective study, describing individual responses. Each patient was his own control before and with treatment. The study also compared individuals within the group of patients whose treatment was stopped and those whose treatment was continuing at the time of the study. Data was collected by analysing all patients' records and by direct enquiry of prescribers. Diagnosis was according to DSM IV criteria. Assessment included: socio-epidemiological data (sex, age, marital status and family situation, education, military and professional status, level of benefits and social support); data related to the illness (age of onset, age at first contact with a psychiatrist, diagnosis, level of hospital contact); data concerning prescriptions of drugs (indications, average dose, duration of treatment, side effects, reason for stopping and other drugs taken at the same time); 170 patients were prescribed clozapine: 96 of them were continuing to take clozapine at the time of the study while 74 patients had stopped. The characteristics of the two groups are described. They show the severity of the illnesses concerned: early onset of illness and early psychiatric care, the absence in many patients of a partner or family, their low level of employment, high dependence on social assistance. Concerning diagnostic criteria, the range of diagnoses included mostly paranoid schizophrenia, then unclassified schizophrenia then schizoaffective disorders. The indication of clozapine prescription was in the majority of the cases (87%) an inefficiency of classical neuroleptic therapy. The average dose was 401 mg per day: 388 mg for the group continuing treatment; 417 for the group which had stopped their treatment. For the patients who continued taking clozapine, the average time of treatment was just over 4 years, with a maximum of 110 months. The tolerance of clozapine was good, with 35% not suffering any side effects. Neutropenia was the commonest side effect (4.1% - a higher incidence than previously reported with one case only of agranulocytosis (0.59%). The other adverse effects were in accordance with known data: sedation affected 22.4% of patients; hypersalivation 13.5%; postural hypotension 7.6%; malocclusion 7.6%; weight gain (>5 kg) 7.1%. Treatment was stopped for side effects in 17.1% of patients; for ineffectiveness in 14.7% and 3% of patients died during treatment (their death attributed to clozapine) from seizures, intestinal obstruction or agranulocytosis. Clozapine significantly reduced the need for other associated psychotropic drugs. 25.3% of all patients were on monotherapy when on clozapine compared with 6.5% before (31.2% compared with 3.1% for those patients continuing treatment). The need for supplementary medication to reduce side effects was much less. However 22% of patients taking clozapine at the time of the study are still on an anticholinergic drug. On the basis of the analysis of 5 successive terms of treatment lasting 12 months, we have shown that for each patient: clozapine significantly reduces the length of hospitalisation compared with standard neuroleptics; it allows for out patient management and continuing integration in the community; the critical length of treatment for the group of patients studied with regard to the need for hospitalisation is 18 months. For patients whose treatment with clozapine was stopped, we noted that with the continued input from the team of carers even after clozapine was stopped, patients who had been seriously ill for long period of time continued to improve.
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PMID:[Ten years of clinical experience with clozapine about 170 patients]. 1523 27

Psychogenic symptoms are common and pose an uncomfortable challenge. Among psychogenic symptoms, psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) are common and have been extensively studied. They are unique in that, unlike most other psychogenic symptoms, they can be diagnosed with near certainty. PNES can be used as a model, as almost everything that applies to PNES applies to other psychogenic symptoms. According to DSM-IV, somatic symptoms are the main manifestation of three groups of disorders: somatoform disorders, factitious disorder, and malingering. Treatment is challenging. Unfortunately, psychogenic symptoms tend to be neglected. For example, the American Psychiatric Association has abundant written patient education material available on diverse topics, but none on somatoform disorders. Psychogenic symptoms are also not the subject of much clinical research. A search of the journal Neurology for 1994-2003 for the word psychogenic in the title found 21 articles, only 4 of which on topics other than psychogenic seizures. A similar search for original articles in the New England Journal of Medicine found no articles with psychogenic in the title and two with psychogenic in the abstract. Thus, there seems to be a severe disconnect between the frequency of the problem and the amount of attention devoted to it.
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PMID:The problem of psychogenic symptoms: is the psychiatric community in denial? 1565 26

Mood disorders in patients with epilepsy are not frequently diagnosed and not treated. Because of the high prevalence of depression and the resulting high suicide rate, precise diagnosis and effective therapy are very important. Frequently, the clinical pictures of depressive syndromes in epileptics do not correspond with those described in operationalized classification systems such as ICD-10 or DSM-IV. The incidence of depressive disorders in epileptics is estimated in the literature to be 30%-70%. Multifactorial pathogenetic models include the type of seizures, the location of the epileptic focus, and neurotransmitter dysfunctions, as well as hereditary and psychosocial influences, and negative psychotropic effects of antiepileptic drugs. Despite an insufficient number of available controlled studies, based on the current data, treatment with the newer serotonergic antidepressants can be recommended for patients with epilepsy.
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PMID:Mood disorders and their treatment in patients with epilepsy. 1574 79

Heterogeneity within the autism diagnosis obscures the genetic basis of the disorder and impedes our ability to develop effective treatments. We found that by using two readily available tests, autism can be divided into two subgroups, "essential autism" and "complex autism," with different outcomes and recurrence risks. Complex autism consists of individuals in whom there is evidence of some abnormality of early morphogenesis, manifested by either significant dysmorphology or microcephaly. The remainder have "essential autism." From 1995 to 2001, 260 individuals who met DSM-IV criteria for autistic disorder were examined. Five percent (13/260) were microcephalic and 16% (41/260) had significant physical anomalies. Individually, each trait predicted a poorer outcome. Together they define the "complex autism" subgroup, comprising 20% (46/233) of the total autism population. Individuals with complex autism have lower IQs (P=0.006), more seizures (P=0.0008), more abnormal EEGs (46% vs. 30%), more brain abnormalities by MRI (28% vs. 13%). Everyone with an identifiable syndrome was in the complex group. Essential autism defines the more heritable group with higher sib recurrence (4% vs. 0%), more relatives with autism (20% vs. 9%), and higher male to female ratio (6.5:1 vs. 3.2:1). Their outcome was better with higher IQs (P=0.02) and fewer seizures (P=0.0008). They were more apt to develop autism with a regressive onset (43% vs. 23%, P=0.02). Analysis of the features predictive of poor outcome (IQ<55, functionally non-verbal) showed that microcephaly was 100% specific but only 14% sensitive; the presence of physical anomalies was 86% specific and 34% sensitive. The two tests combined yielded 87% specificity, 47% sensitivity, and an odds ratio of 4.8:1 for poor outcome. Separating essential from complex autism should be the first diagnostic step for children with autism spectrum disorders as it allows better prognostication and counseling. Definition of more homogeneous populations should increase power of research analyses.
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PMID:Essential versus complex autism: definition of fundamental prognostic subtypes. 1588 28

A patient who developed obsessive-compulsive symptoms shortly after the onset of temporal lobe epilepsy exhibited almost complete remission after being rendered seizure-free by surgical intervention. These data support the hypothesis that temporal lobe epilepsy and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) share at least some pathophysiological components. The diagnosis of temporal lobe epilepsy was made by ictal video/EEG recordings, concordant with the presence of a lesion in the posterior region of the temporobasal neocortex. The OCD was diagnosed on the basis of DSM-IV-TR criteria through a clinical interview while the intensity of the OCD symptoms was assessed with the Yape-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. Surgical intervention consisted of a complete lesionectomy in association with a right temporal lobectomy including both lateral and mesial structures. The patient had follow-up visits after 6 months and 1 year. At both times, the patient remained free of seizures and reported a progressive reduction in OCD symptomatology.
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PMID:Association of temporal lobe epilepsy and obsessive-compulsive disorder in a patient successfully treated with right temporal lobectomy. 1590 57


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