School bullying: an increasingly recognized etiology for psychogenic non-epileptic seizures: report of two cases

Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) are seizure-like episodes that are not associated with changes on electroencephalogram. They are the result of a wide range of possible psychological stressors including being a victim of bullying. Currently, reports regarding PNES in bullied patients are la...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of pediatrics & adolescent medicine 2019-12, Vol.6 (4), p.155-157
Main Authors: Alhafez, Laila, Masri, Amira
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bullying
Case Report
Children
Jordan
Psychogenic non- epileptic seizures
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Summary:Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) are seizure-like episodes that are not associated with changes on electroencephalogram. They are the result of a wide range of possible psychological stressors including being a victim of bullying. Currently, reports regarding PNES in bullied patients are lacking. In this case report, we describe two cases; the first is a 10-year-old boy who presented to the emergency room once for visual loss and another for inability to walk. The other is a 12-year-old boy who has experienced recurrent episodes of loss of consciousness. Based on the negative investigations for any other possible diagnosis, and upon the nature of the episodes, a diagnosis of PNES was made after a history of bullying victimization was revealed. This suggests that PNES can result from psychological distress caused by school bullying victimization in children and highlights the importance of screening for bullying in patients with PNES.
ISSN:2352-6467
2352-6467
DOI:10.1016/j.ijpam.2019.05.007