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Right temporoparietal junction transcranial direct current stimulation in the treatment of functional dissociative seizures: a case series

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Abstract

Functional dissociative seizures (FDSs) are clinical events that resemble epileptic seizures but are not associated with abnormal brain electrical discharges or other physiological problems. In this pilot case series, ten adults with FDSs were recruited from our psychiatry department after being referred by a neurologist who made the diagnosis of FDS based on video EEG results. Each subject received ten sessions of cathodal tDCS focused on the right temporoparietal junction. A significant decrease in weekly seizure frequency was seen in all participants between baseline (30.2 ± 70.3 events) and 1 month after tDCS treatment (0.2 ± 0.3events) (p = 0.006). Main predisposing factors were unchanged after treatment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Univ Lille, INSERM, CHU Lille, Lille Neuroscience and Cognition Centre (U-1172), Plasticity and SubjectivitY Team, CURE Platform, 59000, Lille, France

    Arnaud Leroy, Guillaume Vaiva & Ali Amad

  2. General Psychiatry Department, CHU Lille, Fontan Hospital, 59037, Lille Cedex, France

    Arnaud Leroy, Isabelle Warembourg, Guillaume Vaiva & Ali Amad

  3. Centre National de Ressources et Résilience pour les psychotraumatismes (CN2R Lille - Paris), 59000, Lille, France

    Arnaud Leroy & Guillaume Vaiva

  4. Univ Lille, INSERM, CHU Lille, Lille Neuroscience and Cognition Centre (U-1172), Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, 59000, Lille, France

    Philippe Derambure

  5. Pôle Universitaire de Psychiatrie adulte du Grand Nancy, CPN, Laxou, France

    Coraline Hingray

  6. CNRS CRAN, UMR7039, Centre de Recherche en Automatique de Nancy, Vandoeuvre les Nancy, France

    Coraline Hingray

  7. UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France

    Wissam El-Hage

  8. CHRU de Tours, Pôle de Psychiatrie et d’addictologie, Tours, France

    Wissam El-Hage

Authors
  1. Arnaud Leroy
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  2. Philippe Derambure
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  3. Coraline Hingray
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  4. Wissam El-Hage
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  5. Isabelle Warembourg
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  6. Guillaume Vaiva
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  7. Ali Amad
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Correspondence to Arnaud Leroy.

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Leroy, A., Derambure, P., Hingray, C. et al. Right temporoparietal junction transcranial direct current stimulation in the treatment of functional dissociative seizures: a case series. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 274, 83–86 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-022-01533-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-022-01533-2

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