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Electroconvulsive Seizures in Rats and Fractionation of Their Hippocampi to Examine Seizure-induced Changes in Postsynaptic Density Proteins
Published on: August 15, 2017
Electroconvulsive treatment for nonepileptic seizure disorders
Dietrich Blumer1, Steven Rice, Bola Adamolekun
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA. dblumer@utmem.edu
Epilepsy & Behavior : E&B
|May 19, 2009
Summary
Hysteria, a disorder with nonepileptic seizures, is often misunderstood and mistreated. Electroconvulsive treatment showed remarkable effectiveness in severe chronic cases, offering new hope for patients.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Psychiatry
- Medical History
Background:
- Nonepileptic seizures, historically termed hysteria, remain misunderstood and inadequately treated.
- Psychotherapeutic interventions are often delayed, while antiepileptic drugs can exacerbate the condition.
- The link between traumatic events and nonepileptic seizures is frequently overlooked due to patient shame.
Observation:
- Patients with both epileptic and nonepileptic seizures improved with low-dose antiepileptic drugs, allowing some epileptic seizures.
- Electroconvulsive treatment (ECT) was administered to 18 patients with severe, chronic nonepileptic seizures.
- 11 out of 15 patients who tolerated ECT showed remarkable improvement in seizures, pain, depression, and anxiety.
Findings:
- ECT demonstrated significant efficacy in a subset of patients with severe chronic nonepileptic seizures.
- The positive response to ECT suggests a potential neurobiological link or shared pathophysiology between epilepsy and hysteria.
- Patients receiving ECT also experienced improvements in comorbid symptoms like pain, depression, and anxiety.
Implications:
- ECT may represent a viable treatment option for severe, refractory nonepileptic seizures, particularly those with comorbid psychiatric symptoms.
- This study supports historical perspectives on the relationship between epilepsy and hysteria, warranting further investigation.
- Revisiting historical treatment paradigms, like ECT, could offer novel therapeutic strategies for complex neurological and psychiatric disorders.
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