About Pseudo Seizures

Pseudoseizures, more commonly referred to as psychogenic seizures, are a nonepileptic seizure. A nonepileptic seizure refers to a seizure that is not caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain.

Causes

• A pseudoseizure is caused by subconscious activity in the mind. According to Selim R. Benbadis, M.D., and Leanne Heriaud, R.N., these seizures are usually emotion or stress related.

Risk Factors

• Patients who have high amounts of stress or depression are prone to having pseudoseizures. More often than not, the patient has had traumatic psychological experiences that he buried within his subconscious mind.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of pseudoseizures are similar to those of grand mal seizures that include episodes of confusion, stiffening of the limbs, jerking, and other uncontrollable movements.

Misdiagnosis

• According to Selim R. Benbadis, M.D., and Leanne Heriaud, R.N., many patients who experience pseudoseizures have been misdiagnosed as having epilepsy. Epilepsy medication does not help treat pseudoseizures because the cause of the condition is different from that of epileptic seizures.

Treatment

• As pseudoseizures are a physiological condition, the technique used to treat the seizures is psychiatric treatment. A mental health professional will assist patients with pseudoseizures in managing their stress and depression to help prevent the seizures.