Sponsored by
Epilepsy study success for university
PIONEERING research carried out at the University of Sheffield has found that doctors can distinguish between the causes of blackout by listening to how patients talk about their experiences.
It is very difficult for doctors to differentiate between blackouts that are caused by epilepsy - caused by a sudden burst of excess electrical activity in the brain - and non-epileptic attacks in response to stressful situations, emotions or memories.
Markus Reuber, senior clinical lecturer and honorary consultant in the Academic Neurology Unit at the University of Sheffield and his team conducted research into the seizures.
They found that by focusing on how people talked about the incidents, rather than what symptoms they mentioned, it was possible to work out who had which disorder.
His study found that the patients with epilepsy tended to give detailed accounts of seizures. But patients with non-epilectic disorder only provided seizure descriptions after repeated prompting by the doctor.
Mr Reuber said: "The differentiation of epileptic and non-epileptic attacks is one of the most challenging tasks in the neurology outpatient clinic.
"This work does not only help neurologists with this difficult problem but also enables them to understand patients and their seizure experiences much better."
It is essential that doctors make the right diagnosis as the conditions need different treatment, as people with epilepsy need antiepileptic drugs, and those with non-epileptic attack would be advised to have psychotherapy.
Got a view? Add your comment below.
READ MORE
Subscribe to The Star
Main news index
Your letters
Features
South Yorkshire's environmental news
Kids Zone
More business news
More Rotherham news
More Doncaster news
More Barnsley news
Latest sport
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Sheffield
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: -1 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Light snow
Temperature: -2 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South east
