About NEAD
Non-Epileptic Attack Disorder (NEAD) is a seizure condition, visibly similar to epilepsy. Other names for the condition include NES, PNES & Pseudoseizures (although the latter is widely regarded as inappropriate due to it's meaning suggesting the seizures are fake).
NEAD seizures are very real, and anyone can encounter them. Possible causes include (but are not limited to):-
Anyone with concerns regarding having seizures should contact their GP for initial consultation, when (if necessary) a referal will be made to a neurology specialist.
- Around 2 or 3 people in every 10,000 have non-epileptic attacks. This could mean the following likelihood of numbers of sufferers in Scotland:-
- Glasgow - 125 to 190
- Edinburgh - 95 to 140
- Aberdeen - 40 to 65
- Dundee - 30 to 45
- Inverness - 8 to 15
- Scotland overall - 1000 to 1500
- Of all the people who go to hospital with attacks that do not settle quickly with medication, nearly half turn out to have non-epileptic attacks.
- Approximately four times as many women as men suffer from NEAD.
- Non-epileptic attacks do not damage the brain even if they go on for several minutes.
- Over 80% of patients with NEAD report significant traumatic experiences in their past.
- The most reliable way to diagnose NEAD is by video-EEG monitoring, where special equipment is used to watch a typical attack and record brain waves as an attack occurs. Epilepsy specialists may also be able to tell what kind of attacks people are experiencing when they see them occur or where they are described in detail by a witness. Home videos and photos of a typical attack can sometimes help.
- Non-epileptic attacks cannot be cured by anti-epileptic medication.
- The currently accepted treatment for NEAD is psychological therapy. This is only offered by specialist psychotherapists, clinical psychologists, psychiatrists and clinical neuropsychologists. This kind of therapy aims to help you to understand the reasons for your symptoms, and may teach you specific techniques to help you control your attacks, understand your ways of coping with stressful events and view past events in a different way. Many people find that their seizures stop or reduce with therapy, or that they are able to live with them more easily. This can be a long process and it is likely to be weeks or months before your attacks improve. You may referred for psychological treatment by your neurologist or GP.