The purpose of this study was to point out the effectiveness of prolonged video EEG monitoring (PVEM) in the diagnosis of nonepileptic seizures (NES) as well as to estimate its prevalence in a reference center of epilepsy (EP). A sample of 47 patients with the diagnosis of NES with spontaneous or provoked seizures was observed. A protocol with the clinical history and semiology of seizures was analyzed; Fisher's exact test and cluster analysis were used for statistical observation. The results showed a prevalence of 10% of NES; more prevalence in females (63.8%); the crises were spontaneous in 57% of the patients. The mean age was 32.5 ± 11 years and the most frequent semiological sign was apparent sleep (82.2%). Either EP or NES was observed in 9% of the patients. There were three groups according to the cluster analysis: hypermotor NES of the extremities with tonus alteration; NES with automatism; and axial NES with eye movements. In conclusion, the study of clinical semiology of NES during the PVEM provides both this nosological entity and the differential EP diagnoses while the provocative test helps to obtain the seizures.
semiology; video EEG; nonepileptic seizures
