Demographic and historical backgrounds of the elderly with nonepileptic seizures: a comparative study

Non-epileptic seizures (NES) are not infrequent in the elderly. However, the data on NES in the elderly is likited.

To study the demographic and historical background of eldely patients with NES and compare the same with the data in the younger patients with NES.

Patients with NES over 55 years of age and the next two consecutive patients with NES between ages 18 and 45 were compared in terms of demographic and historical features, psychiatric evaluation and MMPI testing.

Of all the 128 patients with NES, 13 (10.6%) were over 55 years of age. History of physical/sexual abuse was high in both the groups. The mean length of time for NES diagnosis was longer in the elderly (13.38 +/- 15.33 vs. 6.15 +/- 8.04 years; P < 0.05). Majority of the patients with NES were on AEDs without evidence of epilepsy and almost half in both the groups were using benzodiazepines.

In demographic and historical aspects old and young patients do not display major differences; however, the diagnosis is significantly delayed in the elderly. Early diagnosis with video EEG is recommended to avoid potential long-term risks associated with inappropriate treatments.