HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) CME: Take the course for this article: Volume 66, Number 11, June 13, 2006 Correspondence: Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Correspondence are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Duncan, R. Articles by Pelosi, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Duncan, R. Articles by Pelosi, A. Related Collections Related Articles

Late onset psychogenic nonepileptic attacks

From West of Scotland Regional Epilepsy Service (R.D., M.O., E.M.), Institute of Neurological Sciences, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow; and Department of Psychiatry (A.P.), Hairmyres Hospital, East Kilbride, Scotland.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. R. Duncan, Department of Neurology, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow G51 4TF, Scotland.

Objective: To investigate differences between groups of patients with early vs late onset psychogenic nonepileptic attacks (PNEA).

Methods: The authors compared patients with onset of PNEA after age 55 years (n = 26) to patients whose onset of PNEA was before age 55 years (n = 241). The authors examined sociodemographic variables, factors potentially predisposing to PNEA, clinical semiology, and medical and psychiatric background.

Results: Patients with late onset PNEA were more likely to be male (p = 0.029) (p values are quoted uncorrected for multiple comparisons). They were less likely to report antecedent sexual abuse (p = 0.008), and more likely to have severe physical health problems (p < 0.001) and to report health-related traumatic experiences (p < 0.0001). There were no clear differences in PNEA clinical semiology. There was a trend to better baseline mental health in the late onset group.

Conclusions: The data suggest a distinct subgroup of patients with late onset psychogenic nonepileptic attacks, in whom psychological trauma related to poor physical health plays a prominent role.

Editorial, see page 1620

See also pages 1727 and 1730

Disclosure: The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Received November 9, 2005. Accepted in final form April 3, 2006.

Related Articles

June 13 Highlights
Neurology 2006 66: 1616-1617. [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. Duncan and M. Oto Predictors of antecedent factors in psychogenic nonepileptic attacks: Multivariate analysis Neurology, September 23, 2008; 71(13): 1000 - 1005. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. C. LaFrance Jr and S. R. Benbadis Avoiding the costs of unrecognized psychological nonepileptic seizures Neurology, June 13, 2006; 66(11): 1620 - 1621. [Full Text] [PDF]