Case Report: Successful management of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures with intranasal esketamine.

A patient with treatment-resistant depression and psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (functional seizures) experienced resolution of both conditions after receiving esketamine, a drug approved for treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder with suicidal thoughts. The report discusses the potential therapeutic effects of esketamine on functional seizures beyond its antidepressant properties.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES), or functional seizures (FS), are episodes that resemble epileptic seizures but may be psychological in origin. Unlike epileptic seizures, which are linked to abnormal electrical activity in the brain, functional seizures may be associated with psychological and/or physical distress, and do not show the same electrical patterns on an electroencephalogram (EEG). Esketamine, a derivative of the anesthetic ketamine, is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) with suicidal thoughts or actions. This report discusses a patient with TRD and PNES, where the administration of esketamine effectively resolved both conditions. It explores the potential therapeutic effects of esketamine on PNES, in addition to its antidepressant properties.