Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures

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.

Dr. Dworetzky is the Chief of Epilepsy at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School. She leads the large multidisciplinary Bromfield Epilepsy Program and directs the EEG laboratory and the clinical training fellowships in her field. Dr. Dworetzky is the Chair of the Clinical Council of Activities for the American Epilepsy Society and is a leading expert in psychogenic nonepileptic seizures. Together with Dr. Baslet, she sees patients in a shared clinical setting to enhance patient engagement in treatment.
Dr. Gaston Baslet is an Associate Psychiatrist at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School. He specializes in the neuropsychiatric aspects of epilepsy and functional neurological symptom disorder, including psychogenic non-epileptic seizures. His particular focus is in the development of therapeutic strategies for short-term and long-term management of PNES.

Table of Contents
Preface
Contributors List
Section I: Clinical SettingChapter 1: Ambulatory Presentations in Adults and ChildrenMary Angela O'Neal, MD and Rochelle Caplan, MDChapter 2: Emergency Department and Urgent Care PresentationsDaniel Weisholtz, MD and Barbara A. Dworetzky, MD
Section II: Etiologic FactorsChapter 3: Psychiatric Factors Kim Bullock, MD and John Barry, MDChapter 4: Neurologic and Medical FactorsVictoria S. S. Wong, MD and Martin Salinsky, MDChapter 5: Mechanisms of Possible Neurocognitive Dysfunction Daniel L. Drane, PhD and Dona E. C. Locke, PhDChapter 6: The Neurobiology of PNES and Other Functional Neurological SymptomsDavid L. Perez, MD and Valerie Voon MD, PhD
Section III: Diagnostic Procedures Chapter 7: Diagnostic Challenges for the NeurologistJigar Rathod, MD and Selim R. Benbadis, MDChapter 8: Diagnostic Challenges for the Mental Health Team and PsychiatristLorna Myers, PhD and John Barry, MDChapter 9: Practical and Diagnostic Challenges for the NeuropsychologistKim Willment, PhD and David Loring, PhD
Section IV: Principles of TreatmentChapter 10: Communicating the DiagnosisMarkus Reuber, MD, PhDChapter 11: Clinicians' Response to the DiagnosisSigita Pliopys, MD, Shan Abbas, MD, and Brien Smith, MDChapter 12: Models of Care Tyson Sawchuk MSc, RPsych, Joan K Austin, PhD, RN, FAAN, and Debbie Terry, MS, CNPChapter 13: Readiness to Start Treatment and Obstacles to AdherenceBenjamin Tolchin, MD and Gaston Baslet, MD
Section V: Treatment InterventionsChapter 14: Evidence-Based Treatments W. Curt LaFrance Jr., MD, MPH and Laura H. Goldstein, PhD, MPhil Chapter 15: The Role of the Neurologist after Diagnosis Adriana Bermeo-Ovalle, MD and Andres M. Kanner, MD, FANAChapter 16: The Roles of the Patient and Family Julia L. Doss, PsyD, LP and Jeffrey Mark Robbins, MSW
Section VI: Long-Term Outcomes and PrognosisChapter 17: Long-Term Outcomes Roderick Duncan, MD, PhDChapter 18: An Integrated Approach to other Functional Neurological Symptoms and Related DisordersJon Stone, MB, ChB, FRCP, PhD and Alan Carson, MDChapter 19: Towards the Integration of CareGaston Baslet, MD and Barbara A. Dworetzky, MD