Photo Credit: Andrey Popov

Recent findings published online in Neurology Clinical Practice support evidence of heightened mortality risk for patients with functional seizures following diagnosis and referral for treatment. The study, led by Wesley T. Kerr, MD, PhD, and colleagues, assessed the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of patients referred to a multidisciplinary clinic in the United States for functional seizure treatment. Using a retrospective analysis of electronic health records, 700 patients were tracked over 1,329 patient-years, with a median follow-up of 15 months. The study observed 11 deaths, resulting in a mortality rate of 8.2 per 1,000 patient-years and an SMR of 2.4 (95% CI: 1.17–4.22). Notably, none of the deaths were directly related to seizures, and five patients were in hospice care at the time of death. These findings contribute to understanding this phenomenon within the decentralized US healthcare system and complement international research.