Dissociative experiences in patients with epilepsy / Experiências dissociativas em pacientes com epilepsia

ABSTRACT A few studies have explored dissociative experiences in epilepsy patients. We investigated dissociative experiences in patients with epilepsy using the dissociative experiences scale (DES). Ninety-eight patients with epilepsy and sixty healthy controls were enrolled in this study. A sociodemographic questionnaire and the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were administered to the participants. The DES scores were significantly higher for the patients with epilepsy than the healthy individuals. The number of individuals with pathological dissociation (DES ≥ 30) was higher in the epilepsy group (n = 28) than in the control group (n = 8). Also, higher levels of dissociation were significantly associated with frequency of seizures, but were not associated with duration of epilepsy and age at onset of the disorder. These findings demonstrate that patients with epilepsy are more prone to dissociation than controls. The high rate of dissociative experiences among patients with epilepsy suggest that some epilepsy-related factors are present.

RESUMO Poucos estudos exploraram as experiências dissociativas em pacientes com epilepsia. Investigamos as experiências dissociativas em pacientes com epilepsia através da Escala de Experiências Dissociativas (EED). Noventa e oito pacientes com epilepsia e 60 controles saudáveis foram incluídos neste estudo. Um questionário sócio-demográfico, a EED, o Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) e o Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) foram administrados aos participantes. Os valores de EED foram significativamente maiores nos pacientes com epilepsia em relação aos controles saudáveis. O número de indivíduos com doença dissociativa (EED ≥ 30) foi maior no grupo de epilepsia (n = 28) todo que no grupo controle (n = 8). Além disto, altos níveis de dissociação estavam associados à frequência de crises epilépticas, mas não à duração da epilepsia ou idade de início da doença. Estes achados demonstram que pacientes com epilepsia são maus susceptíveis à dissociação do que os controles. O alto índice de experiências dissociativas entre os pacientes com epilepsia sugere que alguns fatores específicos da epilepsia possam estar relacionados aos achados.

Dissociative disorders :A study of Clinico-demographic Profile and Associated Stressors.

Objectives: To study relevant clinico-demographic profile and stressors of dissociative disorders. Methods: This is a case-control study of 39 cases of dissociative disorders (and) compared (them) with 39 controls using a self designed questionnaire and G. Singh’s Presumptive Stressful Life Events Scale (PSLE). Results: The mean age of the cases was 21.23 years. Cases of Dissociative motor disorders had significantly higher age (26.4 yrs) as compared to dissociative convulsion (18.8 yrs) and dissociative stupor of 20.6 yrs(38.5%).Two thirds of the cases had comorbid neuro-psychiatric illness; the commonest one being depression (35.9%). The cases had more stressful life events in the past one year as well as whole life when compared to controls. Family conflict was seen to be the commonest precipitating stress. Conclusions: Dissociative disorder mainly affects young people. Dissociative motor disorder is a distinct subtype with a higher age of onset. Presence of neuro-psychiatric co-morbidity is the rule rather than exception. Psychosocial stressors play an important role in disease production.

Stressful life event presenting as enuresis, dissociative disorder and worsening school performance.

Stressful life events are associated with various psychiatric problems. Secondary enuresis and dissociative disorders both may appear in context of traumatic life events. These problems following a trauma may further increase the risk of stress in the family and may in turn result into a vicious cycle of difficulties. We present a case report of stressful life events presenting as enuresis, dissociative disorder and worsening school performance and careful appreciation of situations and rigorous interventions improved the clinical status.

Secuencia de un trance: alteraciones psicopatológicas secundarias a experiencias religiosas / Sequence of a trance: psychopathological disorders following religious experiences

Las alteraciones psicopatológicas secundarias a experiencias religiosas más frecuentes son los trastornos disociativos y los fenómenos de trance. Esta clínica no es frecuente observarla en los consultorios de práctica privada ni hospitalaria. Para realizar esta revisión se concurrió a sitios de culto donde los fenómenos de trance y posesión son frecuentes para observar su clínica y los métodos de inducción. Además se revisó la literatura publicada sobre el tema. Conclusiones: en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires los fenómenos de trance y los trastornos disociativos tienen una tasa de diagnóstico menor que en otros sitios. Los trances que evidenciamos fueron en su totalidad producto de inducciones.

The more frequent psychopathological alteration after religious experiences are the dissociative disorders and trance. It's not frequent to see this clinic in private practice or hospitals in Buenos Aires. To do this revision we went to religious sites where the trance and possession status are frequent, in order to observe their clinic and the methods to induce them. We made a bibliographic revision about trance. Conclusion: In Buenos Aires city the dissociative disorders and the trance are less diagnosed than in other sites. The trances that we saw were totally induced.

Dissociative Disorder in Rheumatoid Arthritis –A Case Report.

A rare association of dissociative disorder with rheumatoid arthritis is described.