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. 2004 May;75(5):743-8.
doi: 10.1136/jnnp.2003.013821.

Multidimensional assessment of personality in patients with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures

M Reuber  1 , R Pukrop, J Bauer, R Derfuss, C E Elger
Affiliations

Multidimensional assessment of personality in patients with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures

M Reuber et al. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2004 May.

Abstract

Objectives: To determine whether patients with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) have evidence of maladaptive personality, and whether they have a single or several different typical pathological personality profiles.

Methods: Patients were recruited from the department of epileptology, Bonn, Germany. In all, 85 patients with PNES and 63 with epilepsy completed a postal questionnaire including the dimensional assessment of personality pathology - basic questionnaire (DAPP-BQ). The DAPP-BQ was also completed by 100 healthy volunteers. The groups were compared and the PNES group was subjected to cluster analysis.

Results: Patients with PNES had a greater degree of personality abnormality than clinical and non-clinical controls. There were several clusters of personality pathology. The profile of the largest cluster (n = 43) resembled that found in borderline personality disorder, that of the second largest (n = 37) was characterised by an overly controlled personality, that of the third (n = 4) was similar to the profile in avoidant personality disorder. Outcome differed between clusters.

Conclusions: Maladaptive personality is common in patients with PNES. PNES are associated with several distinct profiles of pathological personality. This is relevant because outcome differed between profiles.

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References

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    1. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2000 Sep;69(3):285-9 - PubMed
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