Abstract
Past sexual trauma is frequently linked to the development of behavioral spells, present among 30% of patients admitted for video/EEG monitoring. Current attempts to verify and explore mechanisms in this reported association revealed that patients with epilepsy (n= 58) and those with behavioral spells (n= 38) did not differ in their self-report of past sexual trauma (among approximately 38% in each group). Ninety percent (90%) of men with behavioral spells endorsed past physical abuse, however, compared with 45% of men with epilepsy, and 40% of men with spells likely met current criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder. Among all patients, the presence of past physical, but not sexual, abuse positively predicted the diagnosis of spells rather than epilepsy. Current findings do not support a preponderance of sexual trauma in behavioral spells, yet within the subset of men with spells, greater exposure to physical abuse and current symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder may be important etiological and sustaining factors.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 584-590 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Epilepsy and Behavior |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 2010 |
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Keywords
- Behavioral spells
- Epilepsy
- Nonepileptic seizures
- Physical abuse
- Posttraumatic stress disorder
- Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures
- Sexual abuse
- Trauma
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Clinical Neurology
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Neurology
Cite this
Questioning the role of abuse in behavioral spells and epilepsy. / Koby, Danielle G.; Zirakzadeh, Ali; Staab, Jeffrey P; Seime, Richard; Cha, Steven S.; Nelson, Cindy L.; Sengem, Susan; Berge, Randy; Marshall, Eric A.; Varner, Jean E.; Vickers, Kristin S.; Trenerry, Max R.; Worrell, Gregory Alan.
In: Epilepsy and Behavior, Vol. 19, No. 4, 12.2010, p. 584-590.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Questioning the role of abuse in behavioral spells and epilepsy
AU - Koby, Danielle G.
AU - Zirakzadeh, Ali
AU - Staab, Jeffrey P
AU - Seime, Richard
AU - Cha, Steven S.
AU - Nelson, Cindy L.
AU - Sengem, Susan
AU - Berge, Randy
AU - Marshall, Eric A.
AU - Varner, Jean E.
AU - Vickers, Kristin S.
AU - Trenerry, Max R.
AU - Worrell, Gregory Alan
PY - 2010/12
Y1 - 2010/12
N2 - Past sexual trauma is frequently linked to the development of behavioral spells, present among 30% of patients admitted for video/EEG monitoring. Current attempts to verify and explore mechanisms in this reported association revealed that patients with epilepsy (n= 58) and those with behavioral spells (n= 38) did not differ in their self-report of past sexual trauma (among approximately 38% in each group). Ninety percent (90%) of men with behavioral spells endorsed past physical abuse, however, compared with 45% of men with epilepsy, and 40% of men with spells likely met current criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder. Among all patients, the presence of past physical, but not sexual, abuse positively predicted the diagnosis of spells rather than epilepsy. Current findings do not support a preponderance of sexual trauma in behavioral spells, yet within the subset of men with spells, greater exposure to physical abuse and current symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder may be important etiological and sustaining factors.
AB - Past sexual trauma is frequently linked to the development of behavioral spells, present among 30% of patients admitted for video/EEG monitoring. Current attempts to verify and explore mechanisms in this reported association revealed that patients with epilepsy (n= 58) and those with behavioral spells (n= 38) did not differ in their self-report of past sexual trauma (among approximately 38% in each group). Ninety percent (90%) of men with behavioral spells endorsed past physical abuse, however, compared with 45% of men with epilepsy, and 40% of men with spells likely met current criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder. Among all patients, the presence of past physical, but not sexual, abuse positively predicted the diagnosis of spells rather than epilepsy. Current findings do not support a preponderance of sexual trauma in behavioral spells, yet within the subset of men with spells, greater exposure to physical abuse and current symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder may be important etiological and sustaining factors.
KW - Behavioral spells
KW - Epilepsy
KW - Nonepileptic seizures
KW - Physical abuse
KW - Posttraumatic stress disorder
KW - Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures
KW - Sexual abuse
KW - Trauma
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=78649913016&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=78649913016&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.yebeh.2010.09.014
DO - 10.1016/j.yebeh.2010.09.014
M3 - Article
C2 - 20961815
AN - SCOPUS:78649913016
VL - 19
SP - 584
EP - 590
JO - Epilepsy and Behavior
JF - Epilepsy and Behavior
SN - 1525-5050
IS - 4
ER -