[Psychiatric comorbidity in patients with pseudoseizures: retrospective study conducted in a video-EEG center].

INTRODUCTION

Pseudoseizures involve a group of paroxysmal behavioral symptoms mimicking an epileptic seizure, but without modifications of cerebral electrical activity.

PATIENTS AND METHOD: In this retrospective study focusing on mental disorders, 37 patients with pseudoseizures were recorded during video-EEG procedure.

RESULTS

According to DSM-IV criteria, 70 percent of the patients had at least one mental disorder when evaluated. Diagnoses were, in decreasing order of frequency: post-traumatic stress disorders, other anxious disorders, somatoform disorders, dissociative disorders, and mood disorders.

CONCLUSION

The strong association between pseudoseizures and post-traumatic stress disorders is discussed. Our results argue in favor of a systematic evaluation of psychiatric comorbidity.