Are psychogenic nonepileptic seizures genetically determined? It is time to explore!

نویسنده

  • Ali A. Asadi-Pooya
چکیده

Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) are relatively common occurrences in epilepsy centers [1]. These seizures consist of paroxysmal changes in responsiveness, movements, or behavior that superficially resemble epileptic seizures, but lack a neurobiological origin as in epileptic seizures and are not associated with electrophysiological epileptic changes [1]. It is clear that PNES lack a neurobiological origin similar to epileptic seizures, but it seems that there is a neurobiological basis for these events. Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures may be the result of neurobiological dysfunctions at specific brain networks and derangements in structural and functional brain connectivity of specific areas [2,3]. As intrinsic brain abnormalities and dysfunctions are being suggested in the pathophysiology of PNES, it is not irrational to presume that genetic factors may play a role. However, there is no paper in the literature investigating or even suggesting this hypothesis. The most obvious genetically determined risk factor for the development of PNES is gender [4]. There is a predominance of female gender among patients with PNES [1]. The reason for this gender predominance is not clear yet. Besides, patients with PNES often have psychiatric comorbidities. A lifetime history of other somatoform or dissociative disorders is found in more than 50% of patients who have PNES. Anxiety or psychotic and bipolar disorders are less common but are found more frequently in patients who have PNES than in the general population [4]. Interestingly, genetic factors play a significant role in most of the above comorbidities with PNES. In a recent study it was observed that specific single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with a range of psychiatric disorders (i.e., autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and schizophrenia). In particular, variation in calcium-channel activity genes seemed to have pleiotropic effects on psychopathology. This analysis provided the first genome-wide evidence that individual and aggregate

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عنوان ژورنال:
  • Seizure

دوره 32  شماره 

صفحات  -

تاریخ انتشار 2015