Lateralized, nonepileptic convulsions in an adult with cerebral palsy: Case report and review of the literature

Abstract

The authors report a case of unilateral functional neurological symptoms (nonepileptic convulsions) in a 38-year-old man with mild, motor-predominant cerebral palsy. His convulsions are all lateralized to the same side as his paretic limbs. His episodes significantly decreased after several months of weekly psychodynamic-oriented psychotherapy. Functional neurological disorders have been rarely reported in children or adults with cerebral palsy. Among patients with brain injury, right-hemispheric brain disease may be more helpful than either handedness or the side of symptoms in clinically profiling patients with suspected functional disorders. This case raises biomechanistic questions about brain injury, the development of functional disorders, and the lateralization of functional symptoms.

Keywords

• Cerebral palsy
• Brain injury
• Functional neurological symptom disorder
• Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures
• Neuropsychiatry