FAQs about psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES)
What is the difference between nonepileptic seizures and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES)?
Episodes that look like seizures but are not epileptic (nonepileptic seizures) can have many different causes. The most common type of nonepileptic seizure is psychogenic (PNES), and this website will answer questions about PNES.
There are some nonepileptic seizures or events that are caused by specific physiological or medical conditions. A few examples of those conditions are:
* Syncope (a temporary loss of consciousness, also known as "fainting" or "passing out" and usually due to insufficient supply of oxygen to the brain);
* Sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy ("sleep attacks"), or daytime sleepiness due to sleep apnea (period of pauses in breathing while the person is asleep);
* Certain movement disorders can be confused with seizures;
* Other medical conditions.
Usually, the description or observation of the seizure or event itself will help your doctor distinguish if the nonepileptic episode is PNES or may be explained by another medical condition. When necessary, your medical doctor may need to rule out these other possibilities and run an extra series of tests.
