A study conducted in the United States found that the death rate for patients diagnosed with functional seizures is higher than expected, with 11 patients out of 700 dying in the study period, a rate almost 2.5 times higher than similar individuals without the condition. The results of the study, published in Neurology: Clinical Practice, indicated that the death rate is comparable to that of patients with epilepsy and severe mental health conditions. Researchers noted that patients diagnosed with functional seizures had significant medical comorbidities and that comprehensive care is needed for patients to consider both their mental health and medical conditions simultaneously. They also recommended improving access to multidisciplinary treatment to initiate treatment earlier for patients with functional seizures, as many are initially misdiagnosed as having epilepsy.
Source link
Functional, nonepileptic seizures linked to higher death rate than expected
