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July 06, 2010; 75 (1) Contemporary Issues in Neurologic Practice

Psychogenic nonepileptic “seizures” or “attacks”?

It's not just semantics: Attacks

Selim R. Benbadis
First published July 5, 2010, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0b013e3181e6216f
Selim R. Benbadis
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Citation
Psychogenic nonepileptic “seizures” or “attacks”?
It's not just semantics: Attacks
Selim R. Benbadis
Neurology Jul 2010, 75 (1) 84-86; DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e3181e6216f

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Abstract

Since the phrase “psychogenic nonepileptic seizures” has been the term of choice, it has become clear that the word “seizure” here creates confusion. Beyond theoretical arguments, the confusion it creates is detrimental to patients' and families' understanding of the diagnosis, which in turn has a negative impact on treatment.

Footnotes

  • See page 87

    Editor's Note: The practicing neurologist often encounters nonepileptic events. Such patients present diagnostic and therapeutic challenges; here, in 2 essays by experts in the field, we focus on the diagnostic label and whether it matters what we call nonepileptic events that are psychogenic in origin.

    Disclosure: Author disclosures are provided at the end of the article.

    Received January 30, 2010. Accepted in final form March 19, 2010.

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Letters: Rapid online correspondence

  • Psychogenic nonepileptic "seizures" or "attacks"?: It's not just semantics: Attacks
    • Chafic Karam, BIMC-AECOM, 353 East 17th Street, New York, NY 10003chafickaram@hotmail.com
    Submitted September 16, 2010
  • Psychogenic nonepileptic "seizures" or "attacks"?: It's not just semantics: Attacks
    • Richard B. T. Cowan, Buffalo Psychiatric Center, 94 Greenaway Road, Amherst, NY 14226rbtcowan@gmail.com
    • none
    Submitted September 16, 2010
  • Psychogenic nonepileptic "seizures" or "attacks"?: It's not just semantics: Attacks
    • Nitin K. Sethi, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical Center, 525 East 68th Street, New York, NY 10065sethinitinmd@hotmail.com
    • Prahlad Sethi (New Delhi, India; sethiprahlad@hotmail.com), Josh Torgovnick (New York, NY; drjosh49@msn.com), Edward Arsura (New York, NY; arsura2@verizon.net)
    Submitted September 16, 2010
  • Psychogenic nonepileptic "seizures" or "attacks"?: It's not just semantics: Attacks
    • Vesper Fe Marie L Ramos, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Creighton University Medical Center, 982045 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-2045ramosv@unmc.edu
    • Maria Lourdes Ramos (Manila, Philippines mramos@ateneo.edu), Hazel Melanie Ramos (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; hazel-melanie.ramos@nottingham.edu.my)
    Submitted September 16, 2010
  • Psychogenic nonepileptic "seizures" or "attacks"?: It's not just semantics: Attacks
    • William M Landau, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110landauw@neuro.wustl.edu
    • NONE
    Submitted September 16, 2010
  • Reply from the author
    • Selim Benbadis, University of South Florida, 2 Tampa General Circle, Tampa, FL 33606sbenbadi@health.usf.edu
    Submitted September 16, 2010
  • Reply from the author
    • W. Curt LaFrance, Jr, Rhode Island Hospital / Brown Medical School, Rhode Island Hospital, 593 Eddy Street Providence RI 02903William_LaFrance_Jr@Brown.edu
    • Reply from the author
    Submitted September 16, 2010
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