Psychogenic non-epileptic seizure

Common card · No. 290209

Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES), also referred to as functional seizures or dissociative seizures, are paroxysmal episodes of impaired or altered consciousness, abnormal movements, and/or sensory symptoms. They may superficially resemble epileptic seizures but are not caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Instead, they are classified as a type of functional neurological disorder (FND), in which symptoms may arise from changes in brain function rather than structural disease or hypersynchronous neural activity as seen in epilepsy. During a PNES episode, seizure-like behavior occurs in the absence of epileptiform activity on electroencephalogram (EEG). PNES has previously been referred to as pseudoseizures, although this terminology has fallen out of favor due to associated stigma. PNES can be difficult to distinguish from epileptic seizures based on clinical observation alone. Diagnosis is typically confirmed through video-EEG monitoring, which records both the clinical...

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