This study used the Rorschach test to investigate the possible differences between a carefully selected group of 16 patients with pseudoseizures, defined as spontaneous behavior resembling partial complex epilepsy and with or without tonic clonic generalization, and a group of 12 epileptic patients with partial complex seizures. Analysis of the structural data of protocols does not support a significant difference in the Rorschach findings between the two groups.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AlperK. (1994) Nonepileptic seizuresNeurologic Clinics of North America, 12, 153–173.
2.
ArmstrongJ. (1991) The psychological organisation of multiple personality disorder patients as revealed in psychological testingPsychiatric Clinics of North America, 14, 533–546.
3.
BoonP. A.WilliamsonP. D. (1993) The diagnosis pseudoseizures. Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery, 95, 1–8.
4.
BowmanE. S.MarkandO. N. (1996) Psychodynamics and psychiatric diagnosis of pseudoseizure subjects. American Journal of Psychiatry, 153, 57–63.
5.
CockerellO. C.MoriartyJ.TrimbleM.SanderW. A. S.ShorvonS. D. (1996) Acute psychological disorders in patients with epilepsy, a nation-wide study. Epilepsy Research, 25, 119–131.
6.
DevinskyO.PutnamF.GrafmanJ.BromfieldE.TheodoreW. H. (1989) Dissociative states and epilepsy. Neurology, 39, 835–840.
7.
DrakeM. E.Jr.PakalnisA.PhillipsB. B. (1992) Neuropsychological and psychiatric correlates of intractable pseudoseizures. Seizure, 1, 11–13.
8.
ExnerE. J. (1993) The Rorschach: A comprehensive system. Vol. 1. (2nd ed.) New York: Wiley.
9.
FerracutiS.SaccoR.LazzariR. (1996) Dissociative trance disorder: Clinical and Rorschach findings in ten persons reporting demon possession and treated by exorcism. Journal of Personality Assessment, 66, 525–539.
10.
FrankG. (1991) Research on the clinical usefulness of the Rorschach: 2. The assessment of cerebral dysfunction. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 72, 103–111.
11.
GatesJ. R.LucianoD.DevinskyO. (1991) The classification and treatment of nonepileptic events. In DevinskyN. O.TheodoreW. H. (Eds.), Epilepsy and behavior. New York: Wiley-Liss. Pp. 251–263.
12.
HermannB.WhitmanS. (1992) Psychopathology in epilepsy. American Psychologist, 47, 1134–1138.
13.
JawadS. S. M.JamilN.ClarkeE. J.LewisA.WhitecrossS.RichensA. (1995) Psychiatric morbidity and psychodynamics of patients with convulsive seizures. Seizure, 4, 201–206.
14.
LowittR. (1987) A conceptual model and case study for psychological assessment of hysterical pseudoseizures with the Rorschach. Journal of Personality Assessment, 51, 207–219.
15.
MesulamM. M. (1982) Dissociative states with abnormal temporal lobe electroencephalograms. Archives of Neurology, 38, 176–181.
16.
PutnamF. W.GuroffJ. J.SilbermanE. K.BarnanL.PostR. M. (1986) The clinical phenomenology of multiple personality disorder: Review of 100 recent cases. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 47, 285–292.
17.
RamaniS. V.QuesneyL. F.OlsonD.GumnitR. J. (1980) Diagnosis of hysterical seizures in epileptic patients. American Journal of Psychiatry, 137, 705–709.
18.
RamchandaniD.ShindlerB. (1993) Evaluation of pseudo-seizures: A psychiatric perspective. Psychosomatics, 34, 71–80.
19.
RossC. A. (1989) Multiple personality disorder. New York: Wiley.
20.
ShenW.BowmanE.OmkarM. (1990) Presenting the diagnosis of pseudo-seizures. Neurology, 40, 756–759.
21.
StewardR. S.LowittR.StewardR. M. (1982) Are hysterical seizures more than hysteria? A research diagnostic criterion, DSM-III, and psychometric analysis. American Journal of Psychiatry, 139, 926–929.
22.
VanderzantC. W.GiordaniB.BerentS.DreifussF. E.SackellaresJ. C. (1986) Personality of patients with pseudoseizures. Neurology, 36, 664–668.
23.
WeinerI. B. (1998) Principles of Rorschach interpretation. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
24.
WilkusR. J.DodrillC. B. (1989) Factors affecting the outcome of the MMPI and neuropsychological assessments of psychogenic and epileptic seizured patients. Epilepsia, 30, 339–347.
25.
WilkusR. J.DodrillC. B.ThompsonP. M. (1984) Intensive EEG monitoring and psychological studies of patients with pseudoepileptic seizures. Epilepsia, 25, 100–107.
