Page 77 - JCBP-2-4

Journal of Clinical and
Basic Psychosomatics Profiles of attention and executive function in epilepsy versus psychogenic seizures

theory, future research can delve deeper into the cross-sectional study highlighted subtle differences in
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emotional aspects of patients with ES and PNES. attentional processing, particularly in alertness and selective
This preliminary cross-sectional study expands the attention, between these two groups. A more pronounced
currently limited body of research, specifically designed to alerting effect in the ES group compared to the PNES group
measure attention in patients with PNES and those with indicates differences in attentional processing between the
groups. Future investigations should utilize larger participant
comorbid diagnoses (both PNES and ES), comparing them cohorts and include more comprehensive assessments
to matched patients with only ES. Our findings enhance covering both emotional and cognitive domains. By doing so,
our understanding of some cognitive deficits’ profiles they can provide insights into the complex interplay between
underlying PNES and ES. Further research is pivotal to cognitive deficits and emotional dysregulation. Exploring
validate these findings. Such insights could bolster the these underlying mechanisms is crucial for enabling earlier,
validity of diagnosis in ambiguous cases, pave the way tailored diagnoses and personalized treatment approaches,
for more effective and tailored treatments, and promote ultimately enhancing patients’ quality of life.
intervention programs and strategies to mitigate and
manage seizures in these patients. Acknowledgments
One of the primary limitations of our research was None.
the small sample size. While smaller groups can offer
preliminary insights and highlight potential trends or Funding
patterns, they often lack the statistical power necessary None.
to draw broad, generalizable conclusions. For these
reasons, while our findings provide a valuable starting Conflict of interest
point, they should be interpreted with caution until
larger more comprehensive studies can validate or refine The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
our conclusions. In addition, it is important to recognize Author contributions
that during the neuropsychological testing, most patients
with ES and PNES are on ASM, psychiatric, or other Conceptualization: Lana Omari, Shiri Ben-David
neurological drugs. These medications can lead to several Formal analysis: Lana Omari, Eldad Keha
side effects, such as drowsiness or psychomotor slowing, Investigation: Lana Omari, Dana Ekstein, Aryeh Dienstag,
which can adversely impact their performance on the Diya Doufish, Mordekhay Medvedovsky
tests. Due to ongoing changes in the administration of Methodology: Lana Omari, Eldad Keha, Shiri Ben-David
6
antiepileptic or neurological drugs for our participants, we Writing–original draft: Lana Omari, Shiri Ben-David
could not account for them in our research, which may be Writing–review & editing: Aryeh Dienstag, Amichai Ben-
a potential confounder of our results. Psychotherapy use Ari
also varied in existence, length, and approach between Ethics approval and consent to participate
participants along their medical course, which can
also alleviate symptoms and affect results accordingly. The study was approved by the Helsinki committee of
Moreover, the cross-sectional nature of our study prevents Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center (ethics
us from drawing causal conclusions. In addition, the committee number: HMO-0651-19), where all data
version of the ANT used might not be sensitive enough were collected and stored. Informed consent from the
to detect differences in the attention networks between the participants has been obtained before their participation.
ES group and the PNES group. Finally, due to the small The consent was acquired through written means, ensuring
sample size, we grouped participants to preserve statistical that participants were fully informed about the study’s
power. Incorporating patients with dual diagnoses (both purpose, procedures, risks, and their right to withdraw at
PNES and ES) into the PNES group introduced additional any time.
variability, complicating the derivation of PNES-specific
conclusions. Nonetheless, we recommend that future Consent for publication
studies investigate these issues in separate groups to yield Informed consent for the publication of anonymous data
more definitive conclusions. was acquired through writing.
5. Conclusion Availability of data

In our endeavor to understand the cognitive deficit Data are available from the corresponding author upon
profiles of patients with ES and PNES, our preliminary reasonable request.

Volume 2 Issue 4 (2024) 9 doi: 10.36922/jcbp.3847