New therapy application yields fewer seizures

PROVIDENCE – A new study led by a Rhode Island Hospital researcher has found that a cognitive-behavior therapy significantly reduces the seizures in certain patients.
The study, led by Dr. W. Curt LaFrance Jr., director of neuropsychiatry and behavioral neurology at Rhode Island Hospital and assistant professor of psychiatry and neurology at Brown University, involves patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES), a conversion disorder that affects as many as 400,000 people in the U.S. The study has been published online in advance of print in JAMA Psychiatry.
“PNES is much more common than people realize, in fact it’s estimated to be as prevalent as multiple sclerosis,” LaFrance said. “Patients with PNES often suffer from repeated seizures, as well as depression, anxiety and other behavioral and social issues, often to the point of severely impacting their quality of life. This study demonstrates that through treatments with the cognitive-behavioral-informed-psychotherapy workbook, we are able to significantly reduce the number of seizures, as well as the frequency and severity of co-morbid symptoms.” •

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