Treatment Outcomes of ReACT for PNES
Convulsion, Non-Epileptic
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Convulsion, Non-Epileptic
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- 9-18 years old.
- Diagnosis of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures by a medical doctor using video/EEG.
- Family member (parent if a minor) willing to participate and that the subject with PNES chooses.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Substance use.
- Psychosis.
- Severe intellectual disability
- Diagnosis of epilepsy is acceptable as long as patient's neurologist confirms that epileptic seizures are currently under control.
Healthy controls are matched on age (+ or - 1 year), sex, race and family income and can have no psychiatric or medical diagnosis.
Sites / Locations
- Sparks Center Office of Psychiatric Research
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Arm 3
Experimental
Active Comparator
No Intervention
ReACT for PNES
Supportive Therapy
Healthy Control
ReACT consists of 8 weekly sessions of therapy focused on teaching adolescents to regain control of their body through managing thoughts and behaviors that reinforce the PNES and return to previous activities. It teaches parents how to respond to PNES in a manner that encourages the adolescents to regain control of their body. The PNES is explained as behaviors learned through classical and operant conditioning .
The supportive therapy treatment consists of 8 weekly sessions of therapy focused on discussing daily difficulties and/or stressors they experience and identifying stress triggers for PNES. The PNES is explained as physical manifestations of psychological stress.
Healthy controls are matched to patients with PNES based on age (+ or - 1 year), gender, race and family income. They come to one laboratory visit to complete initial visit questionnaires and computer tasks.