Comparison of outcomes of video/EEG monitoring between patients with epileptic seizures and those with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures

We followed 103 patients for 6–16 months after discharge from elective long-term video/EEG monitoring to compare clinical outcomes and quality of life between patients diagnosed with epileptic (ES) and those diagnosed with psychogenic nonepileptic (PNES) seizures. Outcome measures determined at telephone or mail follow-up included seizure frequency, antiepileptic drug use, and self-reported quality of life using the Quality of Life in Epilepsy inventory. Of the 62 responders, 41 were diagnosed with ES and 11 with PNES, using strictly applied criteria. Those with ES reported significant improvement in Seizure Worry (P = 0.003), Medication Side Effects (P < 0.001), and Social Function (P < 0.001). In addition, both groups showed a decrease in seizure frequency. Furthermore, both groups showed a significant decrease in antiepileptic drug use at follow-up, with a greater, and sustained, decrease for the PNES group. Approximately half the patients in each group reported an improvement in overall condition.