Knowra Psychogenic non-epileptic seizure Psychogenic non-epileptic seizure A psychogenic non-epileptic seizure (PNES) is an involuntary episode that resembles an epileptic seizure but is not caused by epileptic electrical activity. It is usually classified as a functional neurological symptom.
Functional neurological disorder : A condition involving genuine neurological symptoms associated with altered nervous-system functioning rather than structural damage or disease. PNES is classified as a seizure-like presentation of this broader disorder.
Video EEG monitoring : A diagnostic method that records behavior and electroencephalography simultaneously during suspected seizure events. Capturing a typical episode without epileptic EEG activity can support a PNES diagnosis.
Epilepsy : A neurological disorder marked by an enduring predisposition to epileptic seizures and their associated consequences. Epilepsy causes epileptic seizures, whereas PNES episodes lack the corresponding epileptic activity.
Diagnostic delay : A substantial interval between the onset of a condition and its correct identification. PNES may remain unrecognized when episodes are assumed to be epileptic.
Dissociation : A disruption in the integration of consciousness, memory, identity, emotion, perception, or bodily experience. Dissociative processes can accompany PNES, though they do not explain every episode.
Electroencephalography : A method for recording electrical activity from the brain using electrodes placed on the scalp or elsewhere. EEG helps assess whether a recorded episode has an epileptic electrical correlate.
Convulsive syncope : A brief loss of consciousness from reduced blood flow to the brain, sometimes accompanied by jerking movements. It can resemble a seizure but results from fainting rather than PNES or epilepsy.
Stigma : Social devaluation or exclusion attached to a characteristic, identity, or health condition. Misconceptions that PNES is voluntary can intensify shame and obstruct care.
Predictive processing : A theory that the brain continually combines prior expectations with sensory input to interpret and guide perception. Predictive-processing models help explain how symptoms can arise without deliberate control or epileptic activity.
Positive diagnosis : A diagnosis established by characteristic clinical signs or test findings, rather than solely by excluding alternatives. PNES diagnosis should draw on episode features and appropriate testing, not only normal test results.
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