Treating Nonepileptic Seizures

The primary aim of Treating Nonepileptic Seizures: Therapist Guide is to equip physicians, psychologists, therapists, nurses, and other practitioners with a validated, step-by-step treatment for psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (NES) that can improve the lives of patients with this disabling disorder. Patients with NES frequently present in neurology, psychiatry, psychology, and emergency departments. The disorder has been documented in the medical literature for centuries, and much is known about the phenomenology, seizure characteristics, psychiatric comorbidities, neuropsychological testing, and psychosocial aspects in NES. However, until recently, much less was known about the effective treatments of patients with psychogenic NES. This intervention provides guidance for clinicians in treating patients with NES and is designed to be used in conjunction with the patient workbook, Taking Control of Your Seizures. Session by session, the Workbook facilitates communication between treatment providers and individual patients with seizures. The authors' clinical experience with epilepsy and NES and research in developing the treatment approach for seizures directly informed the treatment model described. Many patients treated with the intervention have demonstrated improvements in seizures, symptoms, and quality of life.

This book is designed to fill the information gap and provide essential knowledge about PNES and the tools necessary to take charge of it.

The primary aim of Taking Control of Your Seizures: Workbook is to improve the lives of patients with seizures. Both epileptic seizures and nonepileptic seizures (NES) are prevalent and potentially disabling. The Workbook is designed to be used by a patient with seizures in conjunction with his or her counselor. The Workbook contains step-by-step guidelines that enable patients to take control of their seizures and their lives. The companion Treating Nonepileptic Seizures: Therapist Guide enhances effectiveness by providing session-by-session instructions for counselors who use the Workbook with patients with NES. The authors developed this treatment approach based on extensive clinical experience and research with epilepsy and NES. Many patients who have completed the Taking Control process experience fewer seizures, reduced symptoms, and a greater sense of well-being.

Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) are attacks that mimic epileptic seizures, but are not caused by abnormal electrical discharges in the brain. Instead, PNES are typically considered involuntary expressions of distress, making diagnosis and treatment a challenge. Historically, patients are referred to neurologists who, after completing a diagnostic work up, refer patients to mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, for treatment. For a number of reasons, this transition of care between specialists is often not successful, and this impacts patient treatment and outcomes. Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures: Toward the Integration of Care offers new insights into the practical diagnostic and treatment challenges faced by clinicians who manage this condition. This book covers the different stages of care, from the initial evaluation to long-term outcomes, and highlights the need to work collaboratively to provide patients with comprehensive care and improved outcomes. It provides up-to-date evidence and shares clinical expertise for the management of this challenging diagnosis that requires the expertise of a multi-disciplinary team. The authors provide a new framework on how to conceptualize and manage this disorder to more effectively address the needs of patients.

Patients with nonepileptic seizures present in neurology, psychiatry, psychology and emergency departments. Although the disorder has been well documented in the medical literature and much is known about the nature and signs of the condition, much less has been written about its treatment and management. Gates and Rowan's Nonepileptic Seizures, third edition, takes a multidisciplinary approach to this neuropsychiatric disorder, building and branching from the prior editions, with a strong focus on management, to aid all clinicians in the diagnosis and treatment of both child and adult patients. With a DVD containing video material to supplement the differential diagnosis, patient characteristics and treatment sections, and with contributions from the leading authorities from around the world, this will be essential reading for physicians and psychologists, at all levels of training and experience, encountering patients with this complex brain-behavior disorder.

The primary aim of this book is to equip physicians, psychologists, therapists, nurses, and other practitioners with a validated, step-by-step treatment for psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (NES) that can improve the lives of patients with this disabling disorder.

Describes NES, the population, current research and treatments presenting current best-practice and novel developments in the field.

To an outside observer, Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (PNES) look like epileptic seizures. The manifestations of PNES include collapses, impaired consciousness, and seizure-related injuries. However, unlike epileptic seizures, which are the result of abnormal electrical discharges in the brain, most PNES are an automatic psychological response to a trigger perceived as threatening. Not least because the changes in the brain that underpin PNES cannot be visualised easily with clinical tests (such as the EEG), there are many uncertainties and controversies surrounding the condition. Patients often provoke a mixture of emotions in healthcare professionals. In the authors' previous book, In Our Words: Personal Accounts of Living with Non-Epileptic Seizures, over 100 individuals with PNES and their family wrote about their experiences with the condition. While some had positive care experiences, many were left feeling confused, angry, and abandoned by the clinicians they had encountered. Non-Epileptic Seizures in Our Experience: Accounts of Health Care Professionals complements the authors' previous book by presenting the perspectives of over 90 members of different healthcare professions from around the world. The anonymous publication format has enabled many not only to share success stories but also to be open about difficulties and failures. This volume will be an invaluable resource for both highly experienced professionals as well as relative novice and those experiencing PNES. This book will challenge negative attitudes surrounding the condition, improve understanding between healthcare professionals and patients, and - ultimately - advance the quality of care provided for those with PNES.