Emotion regulation profiles in psychogenic non-epileptic seizures

• Published in: Epilepsy & behavior Vol. 23; no. 3; pp. 364 - 369
• Main Authors: Uliaszek, Amanda A, Prensky, Eric, Baslet, Gaston
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.03.2012
• Subjects: Adult; Behavioral Symptoms - diagnosis; Behavioral Symptoms - etiology; Cluster Analysis; Conversion disorder; Conversion Disorder - complications; Conversion Disorder - psychology; Data processing; Electroencephalography; Emotion regulation; Emotions; Epilepsy; Epilepsy - complications; Epilepsy - psychology; Female; Humans; Inventories; Male; Middle Aged; Neurology; Nonepileptic seizures; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychopathology; Quality of Life; Seizures; Self Report; Styles; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult; Emotion regulation; Conversion disorder; Nonepileptic seizures
• ISSN: 1525-5050; 1525-5069
• DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2012.01.009

Abstract Background Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) are frequently encountered in epilepsy referral centers, yet there is limited understanding of the emotion processing style in this psychiatrically heterogeneous population. Understanding profiles of emotion regulation in PNES will provide further evidence of the psychogenic nature of the disorder and will potentially inform psychotherapeutic interventions. Methods Fifty-five patients with PNES underwent a neuropsychiatric evaluation and completed self-report questionnaires that measured difficulties in emotion regulation, psychopathology severity and quality of life. Results Through the use of cluster analysis, two groups were identified; Cluster 1 represented a highly emotion dysregulated group while Cluster 2 represented a low emotion dysregulated group. Additional analyses revealed that each group significantly differed from normative data. Finally, Cluster 1 was significantly associated with several measures of psychiatric symptoms, higher rates of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses and impairment in quality of life. Conclusions These findings suggest that patients with PNES may be subject to high levels of emotion dysregulation, severe psychiatric symptomatology and impaired quality of life, or to low emotion dysregulation characterized by emotional unawareness or avoidance. These profiles clearly differ from normative data regarding emotion regulation and their identification may help tailor psychotherapeutic interventions.