CHARACTERISTICS OF PATIENTS WITH NONEPILEPTIC SEIZURES

The personality features, neuropsychological data, and ictal character istics of 23 patients with nonepileptic seizures (NES) were compared t o 25 patients with EEG-confirmed epileptic seizure (ES) disorders. A d istinctive pattern of seizure, behavior, and personality features was evident in NES patients. NES was characterized by later disease onset and shorter disease duration. NES tends to last significantly longer t han ES and rarely results in tongue-biting or self-injury. Patients wh o develop NES frequently have witnessed seizures prior to developing t he disorder and have greater somatic concerns than patients with ES. N europsychological group data failed to differentiate NES from ES. Howe ver, the absence of group differences may reflect heterogeneity within the NES population. Although many NES patients performed well within normal limits on all neuropsychological measures, most were mildly to severely impaired. Qualitative analysis of neuropsychological data als o revealed inconsistencies within the NES group. These findings sugges t that a more global neurobehavioral profile may be useful in the diag nosis of NES. Future studies of NES must also recognize that important individual differences may be masked within group data.