1. A Case of Complex and Abnormal Behaviors at Night: The Role of the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit in Diagnosis.
- Author
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Diaz-Abad, Montserrat, Sanchez, Ana M., Kabir, Arif, and Konikkara, John
- Subjects
EPILEPSY ,ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY ,DIAGNOSIS ,BEHAVIOR ,PSYCHOGENIC nonepileptic seizures ,ILLUSION (Philosophy) - Abstract
Complex nocturnal behaviors associated with sleep have many potential causes, including parasomnias and epilepsy. Although the type of event and description can frequently lead to a diagnosis, sometimes it is challenging clinically to determine the cause of the behaviors, requiring a more in-depth investigation. We report the case of a 29-year-old woman with a long history of complex abnormal behaviors and visual hallucinations at night. An extensive clinical evaluation failed to reveal a definitive cause of these episodes, prompting a 3-day epilepsy monitoring unit admission. During the stay, several events were captured on video electroencephalography, leading to a conclusive final diagnosis. This case highlights the challenging task of finding a definitive diagnosis in cases of complex nocturnal behaviors and the potential role of an admission to an epilepsy monitoring unit to help diagnose the cause of these behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
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