Nonepileptic seizures in individuals attending neurological services in New Zealand.

Objectives: This study examined the demographic, social, and clinical (neurological and psychiatric) characteristics of people with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) presenting to tertiary neurological services at Auckland District Health Board, New Zealand.

Methods: Electronic notes and video-electroencephalography (video-EEG) data gathered from the telemetry unit based on synchronized acquisition (motor activity and brain electrophysiology) over a five-year period (2011 to 2015 inclusive) were retrospectively examined. Two groups were compared: people with PNES only or people with combined PNES and epileptic seizures (ES) (the group with PNES) and a control group with ES only, matched 1:1 by age and gender.