Saline activation of XXXX : clinical EEG and neuropsychiatric observations.

@entity1 @entity410 @entity2531 @entity302 @entity1314
Twenty @entity1 with suspected pseudoseizures underwent saline infusion during prolonged sleep deprived EEG with video monitoring and nasopharyngeal electrodes. No @entity1 had definite clinical evidence of @entity302 , but 35% had abnormal EEGs, 10% with @entity302 . @entity1 with @entity302 did not experience pseudoseizures with saline infusion. @entity1 with generalized EEG slowing responded to saline infusion with characteristic @entity410 . Three groups of @entity1 were differentiated. Eight @entity1 had characteristic attacks with saline infusion, and in these @entity1 females predominated, mean age was lower, and @entity2531 was common. Six @entity1 each either failed to respond to saline or had episodes different from their characteristic spells. These @entity1 were more often male and more often had diagnoses of @entity1314 . The findings suggest that, although saline infusion may identify pseudoseizures and confirm their non- @entity302 nature, some @entity1 may not be sufficiently suggestible to respond to saline infusion, while others may have non- @entity302 attacks which are different from the spells under evaluation. Psychiatric and neuropsychological features suggestive of pseudoseizures may be more readily identified by psychiatric interview or psychometric testing. Ethical issues regarding saline infusion in the guise of a potent convulsant should also be considered.
