Non-epileptic seizures in children -: Our experience with video/EEG monitoring

Twenty to thirty per cent of patients treated with antiepileptics do not suffer from epilepsy but from seizures which resemble epilepsy. Non-epileptic seizures can be divided according to their etiology into somatically and psychogenically conditioned ones. In their differentiation from true epileptic seizures an important part is played by video/EEG monitoring. The authors analyze a group of 38 children aged 1-18 years, who were indicated for video/EEG monitoring because of suspected epilepsy or non-epileptic seizures. In 14 cases they diagnosed a psychogenic converse or panic reaction, in 10 instances parasomnia, in 6 cases ties and in the remaining 8 patients an abnormal stereotypy or other non-epileptic involuntary movements were involved. The objective of the work was to draw attention to the variety of non-epileptic seizures in the child population.