PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF TRIGGERING AND CONTROL OF EPILEPTIC SEIZURES IN ADULTS
Abstract
The aim of this article is analytical literature review on psychological factors contributing to the epileptic process. It was shown that emotional stress may trigger the onset of epilepsy and have a negative impact on the patients’ condition. Three types of seizure psychological triggers were identified: 1) stress (stress-induced seizures); 2) behavioral patterns (auto-induction, secondary gain); 3) conditioned-reflex mechanism (seizures are associated with specific simple and complex stimuli). Approaches to psychological intervention in a complex treatment of epilepsy are described.
About the Author
Yu. G. Novikova
Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, St. Petersburg
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Novikova Yuliya Gennad’evna – graduate student of psychology and psychological assistance, senior laboratory technician “Health Psychology”.
Address: ul. Nabereszhnaiya reki Moiki, 48 /11, St.Peterburg, Russia, 191186.
References
1. Abramovich G.B., Tachanov I.L. Zhurnal nevropatologii i psikhiatrii im. S.S. Korsakova. 1969; 4: 553-556. (In Russian).
2. Bekhterev V.M. Trudy po psikhiatrii. 1900; IV: 343-347. (In Russian).
3. Boldyrev A.I. Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii im. S.S. Korsakova. 1981; 81: 845-849. (In Russian).
4. Boldyrev A.I. Epilepsy in adults. 2nd ed., Rev. and add. Moscow. 1984; 288 s. (In Russian).
5. Boldyrev A.I. Epilepsy in children and adolescents. Moscow. 1990; 318 s. (In Russian).
6. Vol'f P. Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii im. S.S. Korsakova. 2005; 10: 68-69. (In Russian).
7. Gotsiridze A.F. Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii im. S.S. Korsakova. 1929; 3: 511-517. (In Russian).
8. Gumenyuk L.N., Kozhina A.M. Tavricheskii mediko-biologicheskii vestnik. 2012; 3: 8488. (In Russian).
9. Dolin A.O. Pathology of Higher Nervous Activity. Moscow. 1962. (In Russian).
10. Zenkov L.R. Nevrologicheskii zhurnal. 1998; 1: 5-13. (In Russian).
11. Zinchenko A.V. Viability as a mechanism of social adaptation of patients with epilepsy. The individual and society: topical issues of pedagogy and psychology: Proceedings of the International correspondence scientificpractical conference. Part I. Novosibirsk. 2012; 88. (In Russian).
12. Kazennykh T.V. Meditsinskaya psikhologiya v Rossii: elektron. nauch. zhurn. 2013; 1 (18). http://medpsy.ru. (In Russian).
13. Karlov V.A. Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii im. S.S. Korsakova. 2008; 10: 75-80. (In Russian).
14. Kissin M.Ya. Clinical epileptology. Moscow. 2011; 256 s. (In Russian).
15. Kotov A.S. The course and prognosis of symptomatic and cryptogenic partial epilepsy in adults: Dr. diss. Moscow. 2010. 48 s. (In Russian).
16. Mironov M.B. Russkii zhurnal detskoi nevrologii. 2010; 5: 29-38. (In Russian).
17. Mukhin K.Yu. Zdorov’ya Ukrainy. URL: http:// www.health-ua.org/archives/neuro/34.html. (In Russian).
18. Svyadoshch A.M. Neuroses. 3rd ed., Rev. and add. Moscow. 1982; 368 s. (In Russian).
19. Skoromets A.A., Amelin A.V., Barantsevich E.R., Kazakov E.M. Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii im. S.S. Korsakova. 2009; 11: 8993. (In Russian).
20. Smirnov V.E. Psychotherapy in epilepsy: a guide to psychotherapy. Tashkent. 1979; 620 s. (In Russian).
21. Allendorfer J.B., Allendorfer J.B., Heyse H., Mendoza L., Nelson E.B., Eliassen J.C., Storrs J.M., Szaflarski J.P. Physiologic and cortical response to acute psychosocial stress in left temporal lobe epilepsy − A pilot cross-sectional fMRI study. Epilepsy & Behavior. 2014; 36: 115-123.
22. Allendorfer J.B., Szaflarski J.P. Contributions of fMRI towards our understanding of the response to psychosocial stress in epilepsy and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures. Epilepsy & Behavior. 2014; 35: 19-25.
23. Anderson P. Stress and Seizures: What Drives the Relationship? URL: http://www. medscape.com/viewarticle/775751.
24. Antebi D., Bird J. The facilitation and evocation of seizures: A questionnaire study of awareness and control. Brit. J. Psychiatr. 1993; 162: 759-764.
25. Anteby В., Bird J. The facilitation and evocation of seizures. Brit. J. Psychiatr. 1992; 160: 154-164.
26. Behavioral aspects of epilepsy [electronic resource]: principles and practice / edited by S.C. Schachter, G.L. Holmes, D.G.A. Kasteleijn-Nolst Trenite. New York. 2008; 519 p. ́
27. Beldhuis H.J., Kamphuis W., Teisman A., Koolhaas J.M., Bohus B. Social conflict situations in rats differentially affect the development of amygdala kindling. Epilepsy Research. 1993; 14: 31-40.
28. Binnie C.D. Self-induction of seizures: the ultimate non-compliance. Epilepsy Res Suppl. 1988; 1: 153-158.
29. Binnie C.D., Darby C.E., Korte R.A. et al. Selfinduction of epileptic seizures by eyeclosure: incidence and recognition. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry. 1980; 43: 386-389.
30. Blume W.T. Diagnosis and management of epilepsy. Medical Association Journal. 2003; 168: 441-448.
31. Bob P., Selesova P., Kukla L. Epileptic-like symptoms and stress conditions in adolescents. Percept Mot Skills. 2012; 115: 790796.
32. Bratz E. Das Krankheitsbild der Affekt-Epilepsie. Aerzt. Sachverst. Berlin. 1907; Bd. XIII: 112-116.
33. Brown S.W., Fenwick P.B.C. Evoked and psychogenic epileptic seizures: II. Inhibition. Acta Neurologica Scandinavica. 1989; 80: 541-547.
34. Calimberti C., Magri F., Copello F., Arbasino C., Cravello L., Casu M., Patrone V., Murialdo G. Seizure Friquency and Cortisol and Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate (DHEAS) Levels in Women, receiving Antiepileptic drug treatment. Epilepsia. 2005; 46: 517-523.
35. Ceulemans B., Koninckx M., Garmyn K., Wojciechowski M. Hot water epilepsy: a video case report of a Caucasian toddler. Epileptic disorders. 2008; 10: 45-48.
36. Chauhan A. Self Induction of Photosensitive Epilepsy − Role of Secondary Gains and Psychological Management: Twin Case Report and Literature Review. German Journal of Psychiatry. 2007; 10: 96-99.
37. Chen H.F., Tsai Y.F., Lin Y.P., Shih M.S., Chen J.C. The relationships among medicine symptom distress, self-efficacy, patientprovider relationship, and medication compliance in patients with epilepsy. Epilepsy & Behavior. 2010; 19: 43-49.
38. Culebras A., Miller M., Bertram L., Koch J. Differential response of growth hormone, cortisol, and prolactin to seizures and to stress. Epilepsia. 1987; 28: 564-570.
39. Dahl J.C., Lundgren T.L. Conditioning Mechanisms, Behavior Technology and Contextual Behavior Therapy. Neuropsychiatric and behavioral disorders. 2007; 7: 245-252.
40. Dahl J., Brorson L.O., Melin L. Effects of a broad-spectrum behavioral treatment program on children with refractory epileptic seizures: An eight year follow-up. Epilepsia. 1992; 33: 98-102.
41. Dahl J.A. behavioral medicine approach to epilepsy: time for a paradigm shift? Scandinavian Journal of Behavior Therapy. 1999; 28: 97-114.
42. Elsas S.M., Gregory W.L., White G., Navarro G., Salinsky M.C., Andrews D.J. Aura interruption: the Andrews. Reiter behavioral intervention may reduce seizures and improve quality of life − a pilot trial. Epilepsy Behav. 2011; 22: 765-772.
43. Feldman R.G., Paul N.L. Identity of emotional triggers in epilepsy. J Nerv Ment Dis. 1976; 162: 345-353.
44. Fenwick P. The behavioural treatment of epilepsy: generation and inhibition of seizures/ P. Fenwick. Neurol. Clin. Epilepsy in spec. issues. 1994; 12: 175-202.
45. Fenwick Peter B.C. Behavioural treatment of epilepsy. Postgrad Med J. 1990; 66: 336-338.
46. Ferlisi M.L., Shorvon S. Seizure precipitants (triggering factors) in patients with epilepsy. Epilepsy Behavior. 2014; 33: 101-105.
47. Finley W.W. Operant conditioning of the EEG in two patients with epilepsy: methodologic and clinical considerations. Pavlov J Biol Sci. 1977; 12: 93-111.
48. Forster F., Campos G. Conditioning factors in stroboscopic induced seizures. Epilepsia. 1964; 5: 156.
49. Friedman A.R Elucidating the Complex Interactions between Stress and Epileptogenic Pathways. Cardiovasc. Psychiatry Neurol. 2011; URL: http://www.hindawi.com/journals/cpn/2011/461263/.
50. Friis M.L., Lund M. Stress convulsions. Arch. Neurol. 1974; 31: 155-159.
51. Gelhorn E. Effects of afferent impulses on cortical suppression areas. J Neurophysiol. 1947; 10: 125-138.
52. Gilboa T. Emotional stress-induced seizures: Another reflex epilepsy? Epilepsia. 2012; 53: 29-32.
53. Gowers W. Epilepsy and other chronic convulsive diseases. London. 1881.
54. Green J.B. Self-Induced Seizures. Clinical and Electroencephalographic Studies. Arch Neurol. 1966; 15: 579-586.
55. Haut S.R., Hall C.B., Borkowski T., Tennen H., Lipton R.B. Modeling seizure self-prediction: an e-diary study. Epilepsia. 2013; 54: 19601967.
56. Haut S.R., Hall C.B., Masur J., Lipton R.B. Seizure occurrence: precipitants and prediction. Neurology. 2007; 69: 1905-1910.
57. Helde G., Bovim G., Bråthen G., Brodtkorb E. A structured, nurse-led intervention program improves quality of life in patients with epilepsy: a randomized, controlled trial. Epilepsy & Behavior. 2005; 7: 451-457.
58. Huang L.T. Early-life stress impacts the developing hippocampus and primes seizure occurrence: cellular, molecular, and epigenetic mechanisms. Front. Mol. Neurosci. 2014; 10: 8.
59. Janszky J., Szücs A., Rasonyi G., Schulz R., Hoppe M., Hollo A., Barcs G., Kelemen A., Halasz P. Ebner Intentional seizure interruption may decrease the seizure frequency in drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy. Seizure. 2004; 13: 156-160.
60. Jones N.C., Lee H.E., Yang M., Rees S.M., Morris M.J., O'Brien T.J., Salzberg M.R. Repeatedly stressed rats have enhanced vulnerability to amygdala kindling epileptogenesis. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2013; 38: 263-270.
61. Joеls M. Stress, the hippocampus, and epilepsy. Epilepsia. 2009; 50: 486-497.
62. Kasteleijn-Nolst Trenité D.G. Provoked and reflex seizures: surprising or common? Epilepsia. 2012; 53: 105-113.
63. Koe A.S., Salzberg M.R., Morris M.J., O'Brien T.J., Jones N.C. Early life maternal separation stress augmentation of limbic epileptogenesis: the role of corticosterone and HPA axis programming. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2014; 42: 124-133.
64. Koe A.S., Jones N.C., Salzbeg M.L. Early life stress as an influence on limbic epilepsy: hypnotizes whose time has come? Behavioral neuroscience. 2009; 3: 24.
65. Koutroumanidis M., Agathonikou A., Panayiotopoulos C.P. Self induced noogenic seizures in a photosensitive patient. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1998; 64: 139-140.
66. Koutsogiannopoulos S.L., Adelson F., Lee V., Andermann F. Stressors at the onset of adult epilepsy: implications for practice. Epileptic Disorders. 2009; 11: 42-47.
67. Kralj-Hans I., Goldstein L.H., Noble A.J., Landau S., Magill N., McCrone P., Baker G., Morgan M., Richardson M., Taylor S., Ridsdal L. Self-Management education for adults with poorly controlled epilepsy (SMILE (UK)): a randomised controlled trial protocol. BMC Neurol. 2014; 14: 69.
68. Krause S.R., van Rooyen F.C., van Vuuren M.V.J., Jenkins L. Non-compliance with treatment by epileptic patients at George Provincial Hospital. SA Family Practice. 2007; 49: 14.
69. Kumar G.L., Jones N.C., Morris M.J., Rees S., O'Brien T.J., Salzberg M.R. Early Life Stress Enhancement of Limbic Epileptogenesis in Adult Rats: Mechanistic Insights. PLoS ONE. 2011; 6. URL: http://www.ncbi. nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21957442.
70. Lanteaume L., Bartolomei F., Bastien-Toniazzo M. How do cognition, emotion, and epileptogenesis meet? A study of emotional cognitive bias in temporal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsy & Behavior. 2009; 15: 218-224.
71. Maguire J., Salpekar J.A. Stress, seizures, and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis targets for the treatment of epilepsy. Epilepsy & Behavior. 2013; 26: 352-362.
72. Manocha R. Researching meditation. Clinical applications in healthcare. Diversity (Australian Complementary Health Association). 2001; 2: 2-10.
73. Matsumoto K., Nomura H., Murakami Y., Taki K., Takahata H., Watanabe H. Long-term social isolation enhances picrotoxin seizure susceptibility in mice: up-regulatory role of endogenous brain allopregnanolone in GABAergic systems. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2003; 75: 831-835.
74. Matsuoka H., Takahashi T., Sasaki M., Matsumoto K., Yoshida S., Numachi Y., Saito H., Ueno T. Sato Neuropsychological EEG activation in patients with epilepsy. Brain. A Journal of neurology. 1999; 123: 318-330.
75. Mattson R.H. Emotional effects on seizure occurrence. Adv Neurol. 1991; 55: 453-460.
76. Mayville E.A. The Matson and Mayville (M&M) seizure scale: an assessment of psychological and environmental variables contributing to seizure activity in persons with mental retardation. A Dissertation. 2002; 93 p.
77. Mehmet Y., Senem Ö., Sülün T., Hümeyra K. Management of Epileptic Patients in Dentistry. Surgical Science. 2012; 3: 47-52.
78. Micaelis R., Schonfeld W., Elsas S.M. Trigger self-control and seizure arrest in the Andrews/Reiter behavioral approach to epilepsy: a retrospective analysis of seizure frequency. Epilepsy Behaviour. 2012; 23: 266-271.
79. Michaelis R., Andrews D.J., Reiter J.M. Resolving cognitive dissonance by acquisition of self-organizational skills may decrease drug-resistant seizures: a case report. Tido von Schoen-Angerer. Epilepsy & Behavior. 2014; 2: 64-66.
80. Moshe S., Shilo M., Chodick G., Yagev Y., Blatt I., Korczyn A.D., Neufeld M.Y. Occurrence of seizures in association with workrelated stress in young male army recruits. Epilepsia. 2008; 49: 1451-1456.
81. Nakken K.O., Brodtkorb E., Koht J. Epilepsy and rehabilitation. Tidsskrift for Den Norske Laegeforen. 2007; 127: 309-312.
82. Nakken K.O., Solaas M.H., Kjeldsen M.J., Friis M.L., Pellock J.M., Corey L.A. Which seizure-precipitating factors do patients with epilepsy most frequently report? Epilepsy & Behavior. 2005; 6: 85-89.
83. Neufeld M.Y., Sadeh M., Cohn D.F., Korczyn A.D. Stress and epilepsy: the Gulf war experience. Seizure. 1994; 3: 135-139.
84. Neugebauer R., Paik M., Hauser W.A., Nadel E., Leppik I., Susser M. Stressful life events and seizure frequency in patients with epilepsy. Epilepsia. 1994; 35: 336-343.
85. Nevler N., Gandelman-Marton R. Acute Provoked Reflex Seizures Induced by Thinking. Neurologist. 2012; 18: 415-417.
86. Ng B.Y. Psychiatric aspects of self-induced epileptic seizures. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2002; 6: 534-543.
87. Novakova B., Ponnusamy A., Reuber M., Harris P.R. The role of stress as a trigger for epileptic seizures: A narrative review of evidence from human and animal studies. Epilepsia. 2013; 54: 1866-1876.
88. O'Toole K.K., Hooper A., Wakefield S., Maguire J. Seizure-induced disinhibition of the HPA axis increases seizure susceptibility. Epilepsy Res. 2014; 108: 29-43.
89. Panayiotopoulos C.P. Chapter 13. Reflex Seizures and Reflex Epilepsies. The Epilepsies: Seizures, Syndromes and Management. Oxfordshire. 2005.
90. Panjwani U., Selvamurthy W., Singh S.H., Gupta H.L., Thakur L., Rai U.C. Effect of Sahaja yoga practice on seizure control and EEG changes in patients of epilepsy. Indian Journal of Medical Research. 1996; 103: 165-172.
91. Polak E.L., Privitera M.D., Lipton R.B., Haut S.R. Behavioral intervention as an add-on therapy in epilepsy: Designing a clinical trial. Epilepsy & Behavior. 2012; 25: 505-510.
92. Popoli M., Yan Z., Mcewen B.S., Sanacora G. The stressed synapse: the impact of stress and glucocorticoids on glutamate transmission. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 2012; 13: 22-37.
93. Schmid-Schonbein C. Improvement of seizure control by psychological methods in patients with intractable epilepsies. SchmidSchonbein Seizure. 1998; 7: 261-270.
94. Sieveking E.H. On Epilepsy and epileptiform seizures: their causes, pathology and treatment. London. 1858; 281 p.
95. Sperling M.R., Schilling C.A., Glosser D., Tracy J.I., Asadi-Pooya A.A. Self-perception of seizure precipitants and their relation to anxiety level, depression, and health locus of control in epilepsy. Seizure. 2008; 17: 302307.
96. Strecher V.J., de Vellis B.M., Becker M.H., Rosenstock I.M. The role of self-efficacy in achieving health behavior change. Health Educ Q. 1986; 13: 73-92.
97. Swinkels W.A., Engelsman M., KasteleijnNolst D.G., Baal M.C., de Haan G.J.J.O. Influence of an evacuation in February 1995 in the Netherlands on the seizure frequency in patients with epilepsy: a controlled study. Epilepsia. 1998; 39: 1203-1207.
98. Temkin N.R., Davis G.R. Stress as a risk factor for seizures among adults with epilepsy. Epilepsia. 1984; 25: 450-456.
99. Temkin O. The Falling Illness. The Johns Hopkins Press. 1945; 36: 196.
100. Testa M.S., Krauss G.L., R.P. Lesser J. Brandt Stressful life event appraisal and coping in patients with psychogenic seizures and those with epilepsy. Seizure − European Journal of Epilepsy. 2012; 21: 282-287.
101. The Comprehensive Evaluation and Treatment of Epilepsy: A Practical Guide. Edited by S.C. Schachter, D.L. Schomer. San Diego. 1997; 268 p.
102. Turner W.A. Epilepsy. A study of the idiopathic disease (Reprint of 1907 Work). New York. 1973; 272 p.
103. Van Campen J.S., Jansen F.E., de Graan P.N., Braun K.P., Joels M. Early life stress in epilepsy: A seizure precipitant and risk factor for epileptogenesis. Epilepsy & Behavior. 2013; doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2013.09.029. [Epub ahead of print].
104. Wolf P. From precipitation to inhibition of seizures: rationale of a therapeutic paradigm. Epilepsia. 2005; 46: 15-16.
105. Wolf P. The role of nonpharmaceutic conservative interventions in the treatment and secondary prevention of epilepsy. Epilepsia. 2002; 43: 2-5.
106. Woods R.J., Gruenthal M. Cognition-induced epilepsy associated with specific emotional precipitants. Epilepsy Behav. 2006; 9: 360362.
107. Yum M.S. Prenatal stress promotes development of spasms in infant rats. M.S. Yum, T. Chachua, J. Velíšková, L. Velíšek. Epilepsia. 2012; 53: 46-49.
Review
For citations:
Novikova Yu.G. PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF TRIGGERING AND CONTROL OF EPILEPTIC SEIZURES IN ADULTS. Epilepsy and paroxysmal conditions. 2015;7(2):65-75. (In Russ.)
Views: 913
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Email this article 
