Brain Injury Aggravates Symptoms for Nonepileptic Seizure Patients

Patients who suffer from psychogenic nonepileptic seizures, and also have a brain injury, are much more likely to suffer from mental conditions like mood disorders and anxiety. That’s in contrast to seizure patients with no history of injury, who do not suffer from such problems.

Broadly, a person who suffers from psychogenic nonathletic seizures, is already more likely to suffer from a number of mental conditions and illnesses. However, this risk and the severity of these mental conditions seem to increase, when the person also suffers a brain injury. Brain injuries usually occur in auto accidents, motorcycle accidents, and workplace accidents.

The study that was recently published in the journal Epilepsia found that the brain injured did not have to be a serious traumatic injury for it to increase the risk of mental conditions in a seizure patient. In the study, out of the 45% patients who suffered from nonepileptic seizures and brain injury, about 75% had suffered a mild brain injury.

These persons were found to be much more likely to suffer from mood disorders, have reduced global functioning as well as a higher risk of going on disability. They also had higher rates of unemployment, and also had a much higher risk for major depressive disorders. Mild brain injury in patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures is also linked to higher psychiatric comorbidity,and increased severity of symptoms.

The results of the study are important, because they can be used to develop protocols that will determine how seizure patients are evaluated and treated after they’ve suffered even a mild brain injury.

The Texas brain injury lawyers at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P., Accident & Injury Lawyers  represent persons who have suffered brain injury across Texas.