NES are paroxysmal disruptive changes in a persons behavior that
resemble epileptic seizures but are not associated with the
characteristic electrophysiologic brain changes of epilepsy. NES
are also referred to as pseudoseizures and, like epilepsy, they
have no single cause. NES and epileptic seizures have similar
observable manifestations, presenting with alterations in
behavior, consciousness, or convulsions; no single clinical
feature reliably distinguishes epileptic seizures from NES. NES
must be distinguished from physiologic nonepileptic events (eg,
febrile seizures, convulsive syncope secondary to cardiac
arrhythmias, migraine variants, posttraumatic brain injury
seizure, substance-induced seizures). Children may have
nonepileptic paroxysmal behaviors, including mannerisms, staring
spells, parasomnias, hyperventilation attacks, breath-holding
spells, syncope, and movement disorders. These behaviors are
seen in younger children with normal results on an
electroencephalogram (EEG) and do not require psyc