Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://ahro.austin.org.au/austinjspui/handle/1/33153
Title: Improving the treatment of functional seizures through a public specialist outpatient clinic.
Austin Authors: Higson, Lana;Hipgrave, Walter;O'Brien, Terence J;Rayner, Genevieve ;Alpitsis, Rubina;Kanaan, Richard A A ;Winton-Brown, Toby
Affiliation: Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Neurology, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Department of Psychiatry, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Neurology, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Department of Neurology, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
Department of Psychiatry, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Psychiatry (University of Melbourne)
Issue Date: Jul-2023
Date: 2023
Publication information: Epilepsy & Behavior : E&B 2023-07; 144
Abstract: We performed an audit of the first 12 months of clinical operations to assess the feasibility of a newly established public outpatient clinic for the assessment and treatment of functional (psychogenic nonepileptic) seizures (FS). Clinical notes for the first 12 months of the FSclinic weresystematicallyreviewed with data compiled onreferral pathways, clinic attendance, clinical features, treatments, and outcomes. Of eighty-two new FS patients referred to the clinic, over 90% attended. Patients were diagnosed with FS after comprehensive epileptological and neuropsychiatric review, mostly with typical seizure-like episodes captured during video-EEG monitoring, and most accepted the diagnosis. Most had FS at least weekly, with little sense of control and significant impairment. The majority of individuals had significant psychiatric and medical comorbidity. Predisposing, precipitating, and perpetuating factors were readily identified in >90% of cases. Of 52 patients with follow-up data within12 months, 88% were either stable or improved in terms of the control of their FS. The Alfred functional seizure clinic model, the first dedicated public outpatient clinic for FS in Australia, provides a feasible and potentially effective treatment pathway for this underserved and disabled patient group.
URI: https://ahro.austin.org.au/austinjspui/handle/1/33153
DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2023.109259
ORCID: 
Journal: Epilepsy & Behavior : E&B
Start page: 109259
PubMed URL: 37271019
ISSN: 1525-5069
Type: Journal Article
Subjects: Functional neurological disorder
Functional seizures
Neurology
Neuropsychiatric disorders
Nonepileptic seizures
Psychiatry
Seizures/diagnosis
Seizures/therapy
Seizures/epidemiology
Conversion Disorder/psychology
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