No description available.

abstract: Alexithymia is a personality trait characterized by a diminished ability to identify and describe feelings, as well as an inability to distinguish physical symptoms associated with emotional arousal. Alexithymia is elevated in both patients with epilepsy (a neurologically-based seizure disorder) and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES; a psychological condition mimicking epilepsy); however, different neuropsychological processes may underlie this deficit in the two groups. To expand on previous research considering factors contributing to alexithymia in these populations, we examined the extent to which scores on the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) were predicted by performance on measures of executive and language functioning. We studied 138 PNES and 150 epilepsy patients with video-EEG confirmed diagnoses. Neuropsychological tests were administered to assess executive functioning (interference scores of the Stroop Color-Word Test and Part B of the Trail Making Test) and language functioning (Animals, Controlled Oral Word Association Test, and Boston Naming Test). Hierarchical linear regressions revealed that the relationships between disparate neuropsychological domains and alexithymia were not moderated by diagnosis of PNES or epilepsy. Multiple regression analyses within each group demonstrated that phonemic verbal fluency and response inhibition were significant predictors of alexithymia in epilepsy. Thus, alexithymia may reflect impairments in language and aspects of executive functioning in both PNES and epilepsy. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Psychology 2017

No description available.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The primary aim of this study was to explore a possible association between the coping styles and the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) in the South African context. Twenty-two PNES patients (aged 14 years or older) with confirmed video EEG were recruited from Constantiaberg Medi-Clinic and Tygerberg Hospital. These participants were matched by age and gender with a healthy control group. Participants had to complete a demographic questionnaire as well as self-reported measures of HRQOL (SF-36v2 health survey) and coping strategies (the Ways of Coping (WOC) and the Coping Strategy Indicator (CSI)). Analyses of variances were performed to explore the differences between the PNES group and the healthy control group on the various measurement instruments. The association between specific coping strategies and HRQOL was investigated by calculating Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Multiple regressions were conducted to determine the extent to which HRQOL could be accounted for by each of the coping instruments. The results indicated that the HRQOL of the PNES group were significantly lower than the HRQOL of the healthy control group. The PNES participants utilised significantly more emotion-focused coping strategies, such as escape-avoidance and distancing coping strategies, in comparison to the healthy control group. The WOC and the CSI accounted respectively for 56% and 42% of the variance in the HRQOL of the sample. The results also indicated that the escape-avoidance coping strategies utilised by PNES participants had a significant negative effect on their HRQOL. The findings of this study provided greater insight into the coping strategies utilised by PNES participants, which have been identified as a risk factor in PNES. It also highlights that the type of coping strategies utilised by the PNES participants in our sample had a significant negative influence on their level of HRQOL. This is the first study of this nature on people with PNES in South Africa. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die primêre doel van hierdie studie was om te bepaal of daar 'n verband tussen spesifieke hanteringstyle en die gesondheidssverwante kwaliteit van lewe van pasiënte met psigogeniese nie-epileptiese aanvalle (PNEA) in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks is. Twee-en-twintig PNEA-pasiënte (14 jaar of ouer) met 'n bevestigde video-EEG-diagnose was gewerf uit die Constantiaberg Medi-Kliniek en die Tygerberg Hospitaal. Hulle is ten opsigte van ouderdom en geslag gepaar met 'n gesonde kontrolegroep. Deelnemers moes 'n demografiese vraelys voltooi asook vraelyste wat die gesondheidssverwante lewenskwaliteit (die SF-36v2 gesondheidsvraelys) en hanteringstyle (die hanteringsmeganisme-vraelys (WOC) en die hanteringstrategie-aanduider (CSI)) meet. Analises van variansies is uitgevoer om die moontlike verskille tussen die PNEA-groep en die gesonde kontrolegroep op die verskeie metingsinstrumente te ondersoek. Die verwantskap tussen spesifieke hanteringsmeganismes en gesondheidssverwante lewenskwaliteit is ondersoek deur Pearson se korrelasie-koëffisiënt te bereken. Verskeie regressiewe analises is uitgevoer om te bepaal tot watter mate hanteringsmeganismes gesondheidssverwante lewenskwaliteit kan beïnvloed. Die resultate het aangedui dat die gesondheidssverwante lewenskwaliteit van die PNEA-groep beduidend laer was as dié van die gesonde kontrole groep. Die PNEA-deelnemers het beduidend meer gebruik gemaak van emosie-gefokusde hanteringsmeganismes, soos die ontvlugting-vermyding en distansiëring hanteringsmeganismes, as die gesonde kontrolegroep. Die WOC en die CSI het bygedra tot onderskeidelik 56% en 42% van die variansie in die totale gesondheidssverwante lewenskwaliteit-telling van die steekproef. Die resultate het ook aangedui dat die ontvlugting-vermyding hanteringsmeganisme wat deur PNEA-deelnemers gebruik word 'n beduidende negatiewe invloed op hul lewenskwaliteit gehad het. Die bevindings van die studie bied meer insig oor die hanteringsmeganismes wat die PNEA-deelnemers gebruik het, wat al voorheen as 'n risikofaktor vir die ontwikkeling van PNEA geïdentifiseer is. Dit lig ook uit dat die tipe hanteringsmeganismes wat die PNEA-deelnemers gebruik het, hul gesondheidssverwante lewenskwaliteit negatief beïnvloed het. Dit is die eerste studie van dié aard van persone met PNES in Suid Afrika.

A crise não-epilética psicogênica é definida como uma manifestação corporal semelhante àquela das crises epiléticas, porém sem um correlato neurológico que justifique a sua ocorrência. Sua etiologia é atribuída a fatores psicológicos, entretanto as questões subjetivas que estão na origem dos sintomas são pouco estudadas. Esta pesquisa tem por objetivo investigar os traços histéricos da personalidade em dois pacientes encaminhados para psicoterapia de orientação psicanalítica após receberem esse diagnóstico médico, além de analisar os conteúdos afetivos latentes que se relacionam às manifestações sintomáticas nos casos estudados. O material coletado durante o atendimento prestado a esses pacientes se constituiu como registro e fonte de informação, por meio do qual os elementos relativos à personalidade histérica e mecanismos inconscientes que engendram os sintomas são descritos e estudados. Este trabalho tem por referencial a psicanálise e o estudo dos casos foi realizado considerando seus pressupostos conceituais sobre sintoma, conflito, conversão e histeria. O material obtido durante o curso das sessões evidenciou elementos como erotização do espaço analítico, constante reivindicação para ocupar o lugar de objeto de desejo alheio, além da recusa em abandonar a posição de insatisfação e buscar um estado de contentamento. Também foi observado um investimento em fantasias infantis, nas quais há o desejo inconsciente de união exclusiva com as figuras parentais. / A psychogenic nonepileptic seizure is defined as a physical manifestation similar to that of epileptic seizures, but lacking a neurological correlation to justify its occurrence. Its etiology is attributed to psychological factors although subjective questions concerning the origin of symptoms are barely studied. This research aims to investigate hysterical personality traits in two patients forwarded for psychoanalytic psychotherapy after receiving this medical diagnosis, as well as analyze latent affective contents associated with the symptomatic manifestations in these case studies. The material collected during the patient consultation served as a file and source of information through which elements relative to hysterical personality and unconscious mechanisms linked to the symptoms are described and studied. This work has psychoanalysis as a reference and the case studies were carried out considering its conceptual assumptions of symptoms, conflict, conversion and hysteria. The material obtained during the sessions evidenced elements, such as erotization of the analytic space, continuous demands to occupy the place of an object of beauty, as well as refusal to abandon discontentment and search for a contented state. Investment in infantile fantasies with an unconscious desire of exclusive union with parental figures was also observed.

A crise não-epilética psicogênica é definida como uma manifestação corporal semelhante àquela das crises epiléticas, porém sem um correlato neurológico que justifique a sua ocorrência. Sua etiologia é atribuída a fatores psicológicos, entretanto as questões subjetivas que estão na origem dos sintomas são pouco estudadas. Esta pesquisa tem por objetivo investigar os traços histéricos da personalidade em dois pacientes encaminhados para psicoterapia de orientação psicanalítica após receberem esse diagnóstico médico, além de analisar os conteúdos afetivos latentes que se relacionam às manifestações sintomáticas nos casos estudados. O material coletado durante o atendimento prestado a esses pacientes se constituiu como registro e fonte de informação, por meio do qual os elementos relativos à personalidade histérica e mecanismos inconscientes que engendram os sintomas são descritos e estudados. Este trabalho tem por referencial a psicanálise e o estudo dos casos foi realizado considerando seus pressupostos conceituais sobre sintoma, conflito, conversão e histeria. O material obtido durante o curso das sessões evidenciou elementos como erotização do espaço analítico, constante reivindicação para ocupar o lugar de objeto de desejo alheio, além da recusa em abandonar a posição de insatisfação e buscar um estado de contentamento. Também foi observado um investimento em fantasias infantis, nas quais há o desejo inconsciente de união exclusiva com as figuras parentais. / A psychogenic nonepileptic seizure is defined as a physical manifestation similar to that of epileptic seizures, but lacking a neurological correlation to justify its occurrence. Its etiology is attributed to psychological factors although subjective questions concerning the origin of symptoms are barely studied. This research aims to investigate hysterical personality traits in two patients forwarded for psychoanalytic psychotherapy after receiving this medical diagnosis, as well as analyze latent affective contents associated with the symptomatic manifestations in these case studies. The material collected during the patient consultation served as a file and source of information through which elements relative to hysterical personality and unconscious mechanisms linked to the symptoms are described and studied. This work has psychoanalysis as a reference and the case studies were carried out considering its conceptual assumptions of symptoms, conflict, conversion and hysteria. The material obtained during the sessions evidenced elements, such as erotization of the analytic space, continuous demands to occupy the place of an object of beauty, as well as refusal to abandon discontentment and search for a contented state. Investment in infantile fantasies with an unconscious desire of exclusive union with parental figures was also observed.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Adolescents with a type of conversion disorder called psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) experience many school, relationship, and health care struggles as they attempt to manage their mental health condition with PNES events that strikingly resemble epileptic seizures. Considered one of the top three neuropsychiatric problems, health care providers and school personnel remain ill-informed regarding how to care for adolescents with PNES. Because of the unique multidisciplinary approach needed to address adolescent PNES, school nurses are uniquely positioned to bridge health care and education systems. A review of literature examined the concept of school nurse selfmanagement support for PNES, existing school nurse-led mental health interventions, and the relationships between concepts for a conceptual framework guiding adolescent PNES research. This review of literature reveals an absence of adolescents’ perspective and school emphasis in PNES research. This study was designed to investigate adolescents’ experience attending school and self-managing PNES. This was accomplished through a qualitative content analysis of data generated from semi-structured interviews and magnitude coding of select quantifiable data. Data were obtained from 10 adolescents, 12 to 19 years of age, with current or recent in-person school attendance. The results indicate adolescents from the sample had school experiences that involved stress, bullying, accusations of faking seizures, and feelings of isolation or exclusion. Their mostly effective proactive selfmanagement activities included seeking protection, persevering in life despite PNES struggles, and progress monitoring through seizure tracking. Reactive activities of mixed effectiveness included coping responses to seizure warnings. School nurses, school personnel, family members, and peers served as both facilitators and barriers for PNES self-management. Adolescents also contributed information for three emerging themes— family-management, school-management, and illness representation. These findings reveal the difficulties of attending school and self-managing PNES and inform future PNES interventions to improve academic, mental health, and quality of life outcomes.

No description available.

Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) are abrupt paroxysmal changes in behaviour, sensation, or experience that mimic epilepsy, but that are not accompanied by the electrophysiological changes typical for epilepsy. Their cause is psychological. An examination of neuropsychological correlates of PNES is therefore crucial for understanding, effective diagnosis and treatment of this disorder. The aim of our study is to explore a specific neuropsychological profile of patients with PNES, particularly cognitive impairment, early parental bonding and occurrence of selected life events during childhood and before the onset of PNES. We examined 38 patients with PNES and 38 healthy controls matched for age and sex using neuropsychological battery RBANS, PBI questionnaire and a checklist of life events. The results showed that overall cognitive performance of patients with PNES was significantly worse in comparison with healthy controls. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in immediate memory and language domains. Furthermore, patients with PNES recollected significantly more paternal control in childhood, more stressful situations, more opportunities for social learning of the sick role, more health problems in childhood and also significantly more troubles preceding the...

This dissertation focuses on available means of the assessment of cognitive functions in neurological patients in the Czech environment. The main goal was to verify the psychometric qualities and usability of the Czech version of the Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (NAB). NAB is a test battery that assesses attention, language, memory, and spatial and executive functions. The theoretical part of the dissertation introduces the basic cognitive functions and diagnostic tools for their assessment; the next chapter focuses on NAB and especially its psychometric characteristics. Third chapter describes specific diseases (epilepsy and psychogenic seizures), their manifestations and impact on cognition. Empirical part included participation in the adaptation of NAB to the Czech language. During the research, a group of healthy volunteers (n = 116) and patients from the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (n = 60) were tested by the NAB Screening Module. To verify the convergent validity of NAB-SM we administered Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (including an Effort Index) to a part of the sample. Based on the results, we can conclude that NAB-SM appears to be a suitable method for the assessment of cognitive functions in patients with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures. The...