2012
Publication:Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures: Predisposing factors to diminished quality of life
Predisposing factors to diminished quality of life
Authors: Lorna Myers, Martin Lancman, Olgica Laban-Grant, Barbara Matzner, Marcelo Lancman
Epilepsy Behav. 2012 Nov;25(3):358-62. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2012.08.024. Epub 2012 Oct 24.
Rationale:
The objective of this study was to examine the factors that contribute to the reports of diminished quality of life (QOL) in patients with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES).
Methods:
We assessed 62 patients with PNES for quality of life, anger expression and personality, and psychiatric, social and medical histories.
Results:
Diagnosis of depression, pain syndromes, older age of onset and shorter duration of PNES correlated with poorer quality of life. Elevated anger state, trait and total anger scores correlated with worse quality of life and with Quality of Life in Epilepsy 31 subscales of emotional well-being, medication, cognitive and social effects, seizure worry, and fatigue.
Conclusions:
Our study verifies reported correlations between depression and somatic symptoms and quality of life. A novel finding is that of a relationship between quality of life in PNES and anger expression. This result has important implications for psychotherapeutic treatment of PNES in that it provides a potentially modifiable target.