Does 'event viewing' alter psychological status in functional/dissociative seizures? A pilot randomised controlled...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Functional/dissociative seizures (FDS) are common, mimicking epilepsy or movement disorders, but lack established treatment guidelines.
• Current management of FDS often involves supportive care and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of viewing recorded FDS events as a novel treatment strategy.
• To assess the efficacy of event viewing in improving psychological status and reducing event frequency in FDS patients.

Main Methods:

• A single-centre, double-blinded, randomised controlled trial (1:1) was conducted.
• Participants received CBT, with the intervention group additionally viewing their recorded FDS events.
• Psychological status (HADS, QoLIE-31) and event frequency were primary and secondary outcomes, respectively, assessed at 3 months.

Main Results:

• Seventy-two patients were randomised. The intervention arm showed a statistically significant improvement in anxiety scores (HADS-A, p=0.026).
• No significant differences were observed in depression scores (HADS-D), quality of life (QoLIE-31), or event frequency reduction between groups.
• Effect size analysis indicated small to medium improvements in anxiety and quality of life with event viewing.

Conclusions:

• Viewing recorded FDS events, when added to CBT, may be beneficial for reducing anxiety symptoms in FDS patients.
• This approach represents a potential novel therapeutic strategy for managing psychological distress associated with FDS.