AccScience Publishing / JCBP / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/jcbp.8279
CASE REPORT

Addressing evaluation challenges and incorporating psychotherapeutic interventions in the diagnosis of functional seizures: A case report

Maria Marta Areco Pico1,2* Cristina Tenreyro1,2 Mercedes Sarudiansky1,2,3 Carla Diamela Portinari2 Natalia Piris Mannucci2 Damian Eduardo Consalvo2 Luciana D’Alessio2,3,4 Guido Pablo Korman1,2,3
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1 Psychology School Research Institute, Psychology School, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2 Epilepsy Center, Ramos Mejía Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina
3 National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
4 Institute of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Medicine School, University of Buenos Aires – National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
Received: 29 December 2024 | Revised: 4 March 2025 | Accepted: 1 April 2025 | Published online: 18 July 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

Functional seizures (FSs) are a subset of functional neurological disorders frequently misdiagnosed due to their clinical overlap with neurological conditions. Unlike epileptic seizures, they occur without abnormal neuronal discharges and manifest through diverse motor, sensory, and cognitive symptoms. This case report presents the diagnostic trajectory of a patient initially misdiagnosed with stroke-related motor symptoms and later epilepsy, subsequently reevaluated at Ramos Mejía Hospital in Buenos Aires. A comprehensive multidisciplinary assessment involving a differential diagnosis process was conducted to confirm the diagnosis of FSs by ruling out epilepsy, autoimmune encephalitis, and concomitant psychosis. The implementation of targeted psychoeducation, symptom monitoring, and interventions based on the integrative cognitive model resulted in significant clinical improvement, including reduced seizure frequency and enhanced functional mobility. Furthermore, psychotherapeutic strategies facilitated patient acceptance of the diagnosis and adherence to treatment. This case underscores the diagnostic challenges associated with FSs and highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary, individualized approach to optimize symptom management and patient outcomes.

Keywords
Functional neurological disorders
Functional seizures
Misdiagnosis
Psychotherapeutic intervention
Diagnostic challenges
Funding
This research was supported by Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina (grant no.: UBACyT20020170100274BA).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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Journal of Clinical and Basic Psychosomatics, Electronic ISSN: 2972-4414 Print ISSN: 3060-8562, Published by AccScience Publishing