In this week’s episode, we invite Dr. Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD from the Neurology department at the University of California in Los Angeles onto the show to explain the finer details of Functional Seizures (or Dissociative Seizures).
What are Functional (or Dissociative Seizures)?
As Doctor Kerr described, one of the ways Functional or Dissociative seizures can be explained is what they are not, but a better way is to define them by the next steps that a patient should do to find help. The origin of Epileptic seizures is aberrant electricity in the brain, while in functional seizures (or dissociative seizures) that brain activity is not present. They are still DEFINITELY REAL, but can’t be solved using the traditional Anti Seizure Medication (ASM) route. Instead, if faced with a new diagnosis of functional seizures, one has to dive deeper to understand the cause of their particular seizures.
Functional Seizures are a part of a larger group of Conversion Disorders. Though the cause of them is not known, they can be triggered by a neurological disorder or by a reaction to stress or psychological or physical trauma.
One of the best ways to adapt to a new Functional Seizures diagnosis is to engage in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (or CBT), a common type of psychotherapy. A massive study in the UK, called the CODES trial, showed that people having functional seizures faired better after receiving CBT than just working with a Neurologist and Psychiatrist.
For more information about the CODES trial watch this video.
Big Data Enthusiasts Needed
We really appreciate Dr. Kerr coming on the show. If you are a Software Engineer and Big Data junkie looking to add a 20% project, you should reach out to Dr. Kerr and his team. They are doing fantastic work applying statistical analysis to large datasets. It is definitely a hard problem and something that would fascinate people like you.
Supporting Epilepsy Research
We have an ongoing initiative to raise money for Epilepsy Research. Each quarter 40% of the profits from items sold in our store get donated directly to Epilepsy Research. The rest goes to fund our community, blog, and podcast. Here are a few items you might enjoy.
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Simple “Brain Ablaze” Women’s short sleeve t-shirt$25.00 – $27.00 -
Simple “Brain Ablaze” Short Sleeve T-Shirt$23.00 – $31.50
Update (December 2020)
There is a continued debate concerning what name should be applied to Functional (or Dissociative) seizures. Here is an update from Dr. Kerr.
Contact Us
We know that we say this each week, but we still would love to hear what you think! You can reach out via email at social@brainablaze.com or on Twitter @BrainAblaze.
Enjoy the Show!
Thank you so much for listening. See you next time!
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