LaFrance WC Jr, Baker GA, Duncan R, Goldstein LH, Reuber M Minimum requirements for the diagnosis of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: a staged approach: a report from the International League Against Epilepsy Nonepileptic Seizures Task Force. Epilepsia. 2013 Nov;54(11):2005-18. doi: 10.1111/epi.12356. Epub 2013 Sep 20. Review.
LaFrance WC Jr, Barry JJ Update on treatments of psychological nonepileptic seizures. Epilepsy Behav. 2005 Nov;7(3):364-74. Epub 2005 Sep 16. Review.
LaFrance WC Jr, Benbadis SR Avoiding the costs of unrecognized psychological nonepileptic seizures. Neurology. 2006 Jun 13;66(11):1620-1.
LaFrance WC Jr, Deluca M, Machan JT, Fava JL Traumatic brain injury and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures yield worse outcomes. Epilepsia. 2013 Apr;54(4):718-25. doi: 10.1111/epi.12053. Epub 2013 Jan 2.
LaFrance WC Jr, Devinsky O The treatment of nonepileptic seizures: historical perspectives and future directions. Epilepsia. 2004;45 Suppl 2:15-21. Review.
LaFrance WC Jr, Devinsky O Treatment of nonepileptic seizures. Epilepsy Behav. 2002 Oct;3(5 Suppl):19-23.
LaFrance WC Jr, Reuber M, Goldstein LH Management of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures. Epilepsia. 2013 Mar;54 Suppl 1:53-67. doi: 10.1111/epi.12106. Review.
LaFrance WC Jr, Rusch MD, Machan JT What is "treatment as usual" for nonepileptic seizures? Epilepsy Behav. 2008 Apr;12(3):388-94. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2007.12.017. Epub 2008 Feb 20.
LaFrance WC Jr Use of serum prolactin in diagnosing epileptic seizures: report of the Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. Neurology. 2006 Apr 25;66(8):1287-8; author reply 1287-8.
LaFrance WC How many patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures also have epilepsy? Neurology. 2002 Mar 26;58(6):990; author reply 990-1.
Medication and Psychotherapy Treatment Trial for Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures
Interventional studies are often prospective and are specifically tailored to evaluate direct impacts of treatment or preventive measures on disease.
Observational studies are often retrospective and are used to assess potential causation in exposure-outcome relationships and therefore influence preventive methods.
Expanded access is a means by which manufacturers make investigational new drugs available, under certain circumstances, to treat a patient(s) with a serious disease or condition who cannot participate in a controlled clinical trial.
Clinical trials are conducted in a series of steps, called phases - each phase is designed to answer a separate research question.
Phase 1: Researchers test a new drug or treatment in a small group of people for the first time to evaluate its safety, determine a safe dosage range, and identify side effects.
Phase 2: The drug or treatment is given to a larger group of people to see if it is effective and to further evaluate its safety.
Phase 3: The drug or treatment is given to large groups of people to confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare it to commonly used treatments, and collect information that will allow the drug or treatment to be used safely.
Phase 4: Studies are done after the drug or treatment has been marketed to gather information on the drug's effect in various populations and any side effects associated with long-term use.
