CBT can Help Reduce Seizures in Conversion Disorder

A recent study published in JAMA Psychiatry supports the idea that psychotherapy and medications are best prescribed hand-in-hand. In the case of conversion disorders like psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) seems to be a significant help. Dr. W. Curt LaFrance Jr., director of neuropsychiatry and behavioral neurology at Rhode Island Hospital, found that CBT reduced the frequency and quantity of seizures, as well as symptom severity. According to LaFrance, “… many patients are misdiagnosed, and therefore are prescribed antiepileptic drugs, which can make PNES worse. But we found that this therapy alone can greatly reduce anxiety, depression and seizures — much more so than medication alone, or standard medical care (SMC).”

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