%0 Journal Article
%T Driving rate and road traffic accidents in drivers with functional (psychogenic nonepileptic) seizures
%J Seizure
%D 2020
%A Asadi-Pooya, Ali A.
%A Bazrafshan, Mehdi
%V 79
%N 
%P 27-29
%X PURPOSE: We investigated the driving rate and the rate of road traffic accidents in patients with functional seizures. We hypothesized that road traffic accidents are common in these patients. <br><br>METHODS: In this long-term study, all patients with functional seizures, who were diagnosed at Shiraz Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Iran, from 2008 until 2018, were investigated. In a phone call interview in February 2020, we obtained the following information: seizure outcome, driving a motor vehicle, experiencing any road traffic accidents in the past 12 months, and their drug regimen. <br><br>RESULTS: 100 patients participated; 41 patients were driving a motor vehicle in their routine daily lives. Seizure freedom [Odds Ratio (OR): 6.15; 95 % Confidence Interval (CI): 1.95-19.35; p = 0.002] and being employed (OR: 10.66; 95 % CI: 3.03-37.49; p = 0.0001) were significantly associated with driving a motor vehicle. Five patients reported experiencing road traffic accidents while driving a motor vehicle in the past 12 months. All these five patients reported being seizure-free. <br><br>CONCLUSION: The majority of patients with functional seizures do not drive a motor vehicle; fear of seizures is a significant determinant. When patients with functional seizures achieve seizure freedom, the rate of driving a motor vehicle increases significantly. The rate of road traffic accidents in patients with functional seizures does not seem to be high.<br><br>Copyright © 2020 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
%G en
%I Elsevier Publishing
%@ 1059-1311
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.seizure.2020.04.005