Screening for epilepsy-specific anxiety symptoms: French validation of the EASI.

Objectives: (1) To translate and validate the Epilepsy Anxiety Survey Instrument (EASI) in French people with epilepsy (PWE); (2) to further investigate the screening properties of each dimension of the EASI in terms of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) anxiety disorders and of epilepsy-specific anxiety disorders, namely, anticipatory anxiety of seizures (AAS) and epileptic social phobia.

Methods: Following back-translation, the French EASI was tested in PWE > 18 years using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) as gold standard for DSM anxiety disorders. We added 3 original questions to explore epilepsy-specific anxiety symptoms.

Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures: Chronology of multidisciplinary team approach to diagnosis and management.

While the diagnosis and management of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) remain challenging, certain evidence-based guidelines exist, which can help to optimize patient care. A multidisciplinary team approach appears to have many benefits. Current recommendations exist for some aspects of diagnosis and management of PNES, including levels of diagnostic certainty as proposed by the International League Against Epilepsy's expert Task Force on PNES.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in patients with epilepsy.

Anxiety and depression in epilepsy are strongly documented but post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is underestimated and poorly known. We studied the links between psycho-traumagenic events (TE), onset of epilepsy, and severity of PTSD symptoms in patients with epilepsy. The study included 54 patients with epilepsy and 61 controls.

Is beta band desynchronization related to skin conductance biofeedback effectiveness in drug resistant focal epilepsy?

Skin Conductance Biofeedback (SCB) is a non-invasive behavioral treatment for epilepsy based on modulation of Galvanic Skin Response (GSR). We evaluated changes in functional connectivity occurring after SCB. Six patients with drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy underwent monthly SCB sessions.